Nine Lives
by Curiosity Killed Kristy
Summary: With the fall of Aizen, Ichigo has sacrificed one of the greatest things that has ever happened to him. But when Soul Society wants him to train Grimmjow, the last Espada, to be a soldier for Soul Society, Ichigo finds himself having to sacrifice something else again- only this time, it's much more.
1. Chapter 1: The Object and the Objected

**UPDATED JUNE 22, 2014- I changed parts of their discussion 'cause I felt Yamamoto was REALLY OOC after rereading this story. Hopefully, he isn't **_**as **_**OOC, but for those of you who've read this story before, I think you'll find quite a difference.**

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 1: The Object and the Objected]**

The wind blew a sand dune to shreds, the miniscule specks flashing beige. He paid no mind to it. He didn't have the time to fret over such trivial matters. This place was empty and swept of any life-force that he hadn't already experimented on. The sand, what the headquarters was made of, reishii. Spiritual particles made up this barren wasteland.

The moon casted an eerie glow on the forever nightfall of Hueco Mundo, deterring the scientist none from his excavation. What else did he want to know about this place? The plants? Nothing but roots belonging to sky-high trees in the Menos Forest, where the Menos Grande resided.

Such vile creatures. Living in an existence devoid of functional intellect and emotion. It was disappointing. He knew almost about everything of this place, and it did no good for his research. It didn't expand his knowledge and only reminded him of what he already knew.

_Fruitless._

He'd only visited to find himself a new specimen, but all the high-ranking arrancar and Espada had been obliterated to smithereens. _Brutes. Such brutes. _He'd have appreciated the captains a little more if they had been subtle in their advances to kill.

He never did fight simply for one such as _battle. _Instead, he used it for wisdom. Take the eighth Espada for example: Syazel Aporro Granz. The man who claimed himself a scientist did not impress him at all. Instead, he had disgusted him in more ways than one.

That man talked about a thing such as _perfection. _In all his years of conducting experiments and investigations, he'd never met a man so ridiculous and feeble-minded.

Mayuri, of course, had already had in mind to run tests on the Espada, but said Espada had crumbled to nothing. No spiritual pressure had been left of him. The scientist had been infuriated.

Evidently, he'd stumbled upon the man's lab, overflowing with species he'd never heard of. It was a disturbing sight, yes, but it filled him with joy to the brim of his being. He began to take samples immediately, but the task grew to be boring.

He'd thrown that study in the garbage, never to be looked at in the future again. Yet here he was, scavenging for anything left of this blank badlands.

"Nemu." She stopped her ministrations on the screen.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama?"

"Open this door," he instructed.

"Right away, Mayuri-sama." Standing to her feet, she strode over to the bulky door. Nemu quickly made handy work and rotated, pressed, and traced all of the secret codes. The door lifted, hissing as it did, sunlight flooding the secluded lab.

Mayuri stepped from inside his cocoon. He breathed in the scent of emptiness and sand, and stared at the fake sun. No wind in this far corner of Las Noches. He left footprints in the sand, taking in the sight of fallen buildings and pillars.

A crash immediately alerted him.

Mayuri instinctively shunpoed away, watching as a red pillar fell where he originally stood.

He searched through the midst of sand and smoke, his golden flecks zeroing in on a heaving man, head bowed down to catch his breath. His hand gripped a long gash on his chest, dried blood clotting the upended skin. He concluded that this man was the cause behind the fallen red pillar.

The man's legs gave out from under him, as he fell headfirst into the sand. "This… is… It's… my fight…" he mumbled.

"Oh," Mayuri gathered with amusement, raising a quizzically painted eyebrow. He concluded that this man had to be an arrancar, with that six tattooed on his lower back. "You spent all these days trying to stand? Pathetic." The 12th captain snuck a hand in his robe quickly, whipping a weeping syringe with green acid.

"Ah, such a hassle you arrancars are." The needle pricked the arrancar's arm. The arrancar didn't flinch or react to the injection, instead muttering nonsense again.

"Kurosaki… Ichigo…" the man seethed. Mayuri cocked his head, wondering if he'd heard that correctly.

"The Substitute Shinigami?"

The man's eyes fluttered, his conscience fading in and out. His vision was a blur. Everything was swirling around him, and he couldn't stop the rotation.

Mayuri's eyes scanned the arrancar, as a Cheshire grin pulled at his lips.

"You're going to make a fine specimen, _Espada_." The scientist's lips stretched from ear to ear, displaying his cheesy teeth, and smiling, mustard eyes.

**XLXLXL**

"Captain Kurotsuchi," Yamamoto Genryusai, the Head Captain, boomed out with his gruff and scratchy voice. "What is so important that you've gathered all of the Gotei 13?"

Mayuri cracked a sly grin. "It seems that not all of the Espada have been eliminated."

"Nelliel Tu Oderschvank is-"

"I do not speak of the girl child, Captain Ukitake," Mayuri interjected. "I speak of a whole different matter." The scientist sneered. Captain Ukitake's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Are you saying that another Espada lives?" the 10th squad's captain, Hitsugaya, vocalized for the entire majority, blunt and straight to the point. Mayuri smirked.

"All of us, we are all well acquainted with this individual," the scientist spoke with a definite tone, "the Substitute Shinigami." The room grew eerily silent.

"Are you implying that that boy is associated with an Espada?" Byakuya Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki clan as well as the captain of squad six inferred; that steely gaze of his steelier than was before.

"Ah, ah, ah…" He wagged his finger in front of the man's stoic face. "I advise against jumping to conclusions."

"Kurotsuchi, we're dying of suspense here. Stop beating around the bush and tell us already." Captain Kyoraku, leader of squad eight, sighed. He tipped his straw hat at the scientist.

As Mayuri opened his mouth to retort, Captain Yamamoto tapped his cane on the floor twice, bringing their attention onto him. "Enough! Captain Kurotsuchi, tell us what you have found," he spoke with finality, jabbing his cane on the floor once more.

Mayuri harrumphed with a glare at the Captain's way, facing the other twelve with a smile. "Yes, an Espada lives." He paced the room, eyeing the expressions on the captains' faces. "It seems he was in combat with the Substitute Shinigami. From my analysis, he remained in the Dome of Las Noches for what I surmise to be a few months with very severe injuries."

"You say that an Espada lives, though from the story you're telling, it sounds like he should be dead by now." Soi Fon crossed her arms, glaring with that placid look in her eyes.

"Ah, yes, I said so, didn't I?" The captains' gazes on him were daggers. "I am sure you guys believe me to be a traitor for resuscitating the sixth Espada now." Shocked faces were sent in all directions, as shouting overtook the hall with protests.

"Silence!" the Head Captain yelled above the roar of his students. "Captain Kurotsuchi, do you provide a reason as to why I shouldn't hand you to the Central 46 for treason?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." The 12th captain scratched his chin with a fingernail. "I gathered us together to ask for admittance on bettering my studies with this Espada, and for that, my reasons are understandable. If I had left the Espada for dead, I couldn't have possibly run tests on him. So you see, I am no betrayer. I simply did not want my discovery to die out."

The hall was incredibly quiet.

"I have made a decision." The Head broke through all of their reveries. "I grant permission on your experimentation." Mayuri would've cracked a smile, but the captain continued. "But, reviving an enemy without the Gotei 13's consent will have its punishment."

Mayuri frowned at the Head Captain, lifting an eyebrow. "The Espada may not be tested on until it is at full health."

"I apologize for chiding in, Head Captain Yamamoto, but if the Espada is restored its physical strength, it could very well cause problematic circumstances," Captain Komamura Sajin inputted.

"I am well aware, Captain Komamura," the old man continued. "And that is why the Espada is to be trained properly. He is to see us as allies. Captain Kurotsuchi, you spoke of the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, did you not?" Mayuri didn't utter a syllable. "I take the Substitute Shinigami to be the perfect candidate to train this man. If what you say is true about their battle in Hueco Mundo, the Substitute Shinigami knows him best out of all of us, be it his persona and his abilities."

"Captain Yamamoto," Jushiro Ukitake again intervened. "Forgive my bluntness, but what would be the purpose of training this Espada?"

"We still remain short on manpower since the Winter War, and I take this opportunity to be the best one to get the Gotei 13 back in order."

"The Espada is an arrancar, a _hollow_, Head Captain," squad four's captain, Unohana Retsu, brought to mind. "The districts may not be very appreciative of this decision. Who's to say that we can trust this Espada?"

"We cannot." The captains stared at him in anticipation, wondering what the point was.

"Then how are we to rely on him?" Unohana reiterated.

"I believe that adding the Espada will increase our manpower tremendously. Much like working with assassins, we cannot trust them individually, but trust in their ability."

"But there is one fault in your speculations, Head Captain," Mayuri interjected. "Kurosaki Ichigo sacrificed his spiritual link against Sousoke Aizen. Kisuke Urahara has informed us that he used the Last Getsuga-Tensho. In doing so, it risked his ability to sense spirits, and in a few weeks' time, his reiatsu will no longer exist.

"Let's not forget that an Espada is extremely capable of striking a human populace with little effort. There is no definite promise that that arrancar will not react to his battle instincts when it arises. The next person he could very well strike is the Substitute Shinigami. I surmise that the two were not on best terms."

"But you fail to see the point in why I chose to train this arrancar, Captain Kurotsuchi," Yamamoto elucidated. "The Substitute Shinigami is more educated about this arrancar. The Espada can start his training through learning to sift through temper management, and that is to begin with withstanding the enemy he longs to kill. I am confident that Kisuke Urahara will be able to modify a device that will disable the use of its resurrección before any further involvement."

Mayuri scowled at the Head Captain, his anger floating higher and higher. This old man had reasons for almost everything, and it did no good to hurry his studies.

"All in favor?"

"I am not in favor of this decision," Soi Fon interjected.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes with purposefully inputted warning. "And your reasons are, Captain Soi Fon?"

"I find this very uncharacteristic of you. Why are you permitting a soldier of Sousoke Aizen's war a pass into Soul Society? No matter if this arrancar participated or not in the main war, it is still an enemy." Soi Fon met eyes with the Captain, suspicion held in their depths. "Why do you push this issue forth? You know better than anyone that this is bound to cause an emergence of unnecessary casualties."

Yamamoto remained silent, his expression indiscernible. "I am not prohibited to tell you the reason as to why, but I may give my thoughts on the matter, and it is this: mankind fears an evil man, but Heaven does not."

Soi Fon and the rest of the captains stared at him with incredulity, but none attempted to assuage the silent premonition they heard in his words. Mayuri formulated theories in his head, but he still couldn't decode it.

"Again I ask, all in favor?" Yamamoto swept his eyes around the room and found that all the captains held finality in their eyes. He nodded in recognition of their agreement. "Meeting adjourned." Yamamoto tapped his cane, his subordinates bowing in respect. "Captain Zaraki, you will remain, and as will you, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Damn it," the 11th squad's captain complained. Mayuri lingered with a grimace, taking his place at the front of the barbaric captain.

"Captain Zaraki, assign your two most trusted subordinates to escort the sixth Espada to the Urahara Shoten in the Living World. The Espada shall be kept under vigilant watch at all times."

"Man, why am I being ordered to do this crap?" Kenpachi whined, patting his back with his zanpaktou.

"Do not question your commanding officer." Kenpachi harrumphed and spun his attention elsewhere. "As for you, Captain Kurotsuchi, you are to send the sixth Espada in his best condition, conscious or unconscious, to the 11th squad's barracks for its departure."

Mayuri glared at Kenpachi.

"You are dismissed."

**XLXLXL**

Kenpachi Zaraki trolled his way through Seireitei, balancing his zanpaktou on his shoulder as he did. He continued on his _merry way_ to his barracks, complaining and whining on the way there.

That old man picked him, and he knew why. Espada were blood-thirsty, battle-frenzy beings. The 11th squad was blood-thirsty, and battle-frenzy, so picking the most brutal of all squads to guard the pest was only reasonable.

Once the Espada was to be deemed perfectly trained, he'd be sent back to the Soul Society. He scoffed at that, but trotted along to the barracks to find his _two most trusted subordinates_.

"Ken-chan!" He felt the slightest weight on his shoulder where his unsheathed blade met skin.

"Yachiru," he barked out in his booming voice. The little bubble gum-haired child inclined her head to the side, curious. "Where are those two bumbling idiots at?"

As Yachiru adjusted her spot on his shoulder, rubble flew.

Before he could even comprehend why dust was flying, a building behind him was blown to shreds. Smoke fogged his vision, but after a while, he could make out two figures. One was on his back on the ground in a pile of junk, while the other was standing.

"Did you say I was bald?" Kenpachi watched in boredom, already knowing where this fight would go. There was his 3rd seat, Ikkaku Madarame, starting up shenanigans again. "Well, if you got the guts to say that to your friends, why don't you grow some balls to say it to my face?" Ikkaku hissed, sliding his zanpaktou from its sheath.

The man below him cowered in fear, snot trailing his cupid's bow. Ikkaku raised his sword above his shiny forehead, and swung downwards.

"Taicho!" The Captain's bells jingled at the voice. He leaned his body towards it, and was met with a cocky-grinning Yumichika Ayasegawa, his 5th seat. "What brings you to this side of Seireitei?"

"Old Man Yamamoto wants me to send two idiots to the Living Worl-"

"Ooh! Can I go? They have these amazing scarves that you can only get in the stores down there! Soul Society is just short on fashion these days!" Yumichika babbled on.

"Just stop shaking your ass, and you can go. Your ass-wagging is making me want to hurl." Kenpachi would've stuck his tongue out in disdain, but chose against it. "Go ahead and pick somebody, 'cause I ain't got the energy to do that shit."

"We're being sent to usher that Espada Captain Kurotsuchi found to Karakura Town, aren't we?" Zaraki halted in his tracks, and peeked at the corners of his eyes to glance at the young man's expression. All joking aside, seriousness was evident on Yumichika's face.

"Mm," Captain Zaraki grunted, Yumichika needing no more information than that. The 5th seat stared after his respected and well-feared captain, muscular and bold, and easily found in any ordinary or bizarre crowd; he couldn't help but to smile in admiration.

More rubble flew.

He watched with indifference as his best comrade and squad member finished the man with one final blow. The mustached man was out of it immediately. "Che, I hope you learned your lesson, ya jackass." Ikkaku abandoned the man with one last kick to the shin and spun on his heel.

The passing Soul Reapers gaped with wide eyes. "Man, these bastards never learn." Yumichika smiled genuinely at his best friend, who had that permanent scowl intact, approaching his lone figure.

"Ikkaku! I got some news for you!" Yumichika sang, grabbing for his wrist, and hauling him off.

"_Yumichika!_" Ikkaku yelped, struggling against the hold, but evidently failing.

**XLXLXL**

_Damn that old geezer._

All he'd wanted to do was experiment with the Espada day and night, night and day, and continue on without rest until he was satisfied and dissatisfied. He traipsed along the route to his lab.

His lieutenant, Nemu, followed, falling three steps behind him. Mayuri clicked buttons and swirled his fingerprints in every which direction on a pad to open the door.

He stepped foot inside the lab, flicking his eyes left to right. His most trustworthy subordinates typed among their own computers, for what he was sure had been their twelfth week without breaks.

No greeting was spoken to him and him in return. He again pressed passwords and codes on a nearby pad, a door welcoming access for him. Nemu stayed silent and stood on the sidelines as she watched her master rush for his experiments, where he then began to conduct absurd yet fascinating gadgets together.

Three hours had long passed, yet her master barely blinked, maintaining his steady pace on the new device he was creating. He messed with liquids, and mechanical equipment yet she made no move to pursue her curiosity.

She knew by his jerky movements that he was trying to fashion a quick mechanism through all the gadgets he'd about used up and all the machines he ran through. After two more hours of observing, her master smiled that eerie smile she'd grown used to, and she knew he was finished. "Nemu." She jolted inside.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," she answered with no reluctance.

"Initiate Embodiment and One Square at my command." Nemu nodded. Embodiment and One Square consisted of fusing a body and pill together; she could only surmise that the Espada would undergo it.

After all the preparations were set up and ready for action, Nemu awaited her master's command. The Espada's body was submerged in water, lifeless and still with the exception of his hair swaying in the water, stark naked.

"Nemu."

"Right away, Mayuri-sama." Nemu pressed the blinking red button. The water bubbled as the body swayed to and fro.

"Forgive my asking, Mayuri-sama." Nemu bowed her head to show her apology. "But, I believe you told me Captain Yamamoto prohibited any further experimentation until the Espada was deemed a worthy ally."

"No, he has stated I _may_ not run tests on the Espada, so I am breaking no such commitment," the scientist sneered.

"May I ask a question, Master Mayuri?"

"You may," her master approved with a nonchalant wave.

"What have we injected within this man's body?"

She heard her captain smirk. "All in due time, Nemu." He turned towards the oval case, smiling at his new-found plaything, a mustard smile placed upon his lips. Nemu eyed the container, wondering what he was hiding up his sly, clever sleeve.


	2. Chapter 2: Again

To once again meet.

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 2: Again]**

The pill had long been lodged into the Espada's bloodstream. He lay still and unmoving inside the transparent, cylinder encasement.

Her captain had gone on to execute endeavors, and she wasn't too keen on meeting the _smiley_ man today. Mayuri had been neglecting his other works to observe the Espada's movements and non-movements, so the put-off work had piled. He hadn't been so enthusiastic about his experimentation being interrupted.

The day had finally come for the arrancar's shipment to the Living World, and the pill's fusion with him was close to its finish. Nemu knew that her master would be delighted to come back knowing the Embodiment and One Square processing unit had been a huge success.

The water abruptly whooshed through the pores of the casement with a press of her fingertip like a vacuum. The Espada's floating body slumped against the glass shield.

A section of the shield hissed and unbolted from its other half like a door, bearing the sixth Espada's naked body. Nemu pulled his arm around her shoulder to steady him. She dragged the slumbering man to a nearby table, where a renewed pair of clothes was laid out upon it.

After fitting the fabric over his arms and legs, she carried the unconscious Espada into a wooden box cart. She glanced at the experimented Espada with one more look, and then closed the door, sealing the man within.

**XLXLXL**

The scientist hurried along on foot, ecstatic about being informed of his conduction. Surely the pill was well mixed with the man's blood by now. Today was the day that he would have to send his discovery to those barbaric bumble heads.

After ignoring his subordinates, and unlocking the codes and passwords into his laboratory, he quickly whipped his head from side to side. He saw Nemu sitting on a nearby chair, staring at a wooden box cart. "Welcome back, Master Mayuri." She bowed her head at the sight of him.

He didn't need telling twice where the Espada was. He was definitely inside the box, and he wasn't about to pass an opportunity on seeing how his unearthing was holding up. He opened the box, and there was the sixth Espada, asleep and ready to awaken in approximately twelve hours. "Nemu, the data."

"As you wish, Master Mayuri." She handed the papers, her father beaming at the information.

"Excellent. The fusion went on nicely." The scientist tucked the wad of paper into his garments, patting the skin over his chest with contentment. "Nemu, wheel the Espada to the 11th squad's barracks."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama." Nemu obliged, pushing the box cart. Mayuri watched his daughter as she exited. After he was sure that she was far enough, he began to type on his many-researched computer.

The device took up most of his lab, connected to a screen that stretched from left to right on a wall. Instead of normally working with the vast screen, he used a smaller computer.

For the umpteenth time, he typed a lengthy password into the system. A tab popped from the corner of the screen, and the scientist smiled. He clicked the message with no breath to rest. The tab displayed absolutely nothing, nothing but the color of black, and that was exactly what he aimed for. This was going swimmingly.

He twisted the knob of his speakers, and he could faintly hear the crunching of gravel. On the left corner of the screen, a square displayed an emotion in coordination with a color, and it was white. _Emptiness._ He chuckled at the blinking sensor. _Oh, this was marvelous._ Everything was going to plan, and he was satisfied. _This should keep his interest piqued until the Espada returned._

**XLXLXL**

"Ken-chan! You've got a present!" the little, pink-haired child perched on his back chided in. Kenpachi replied with a "Hm?" and a glance at Nemu.

"Mayuri-sama has ordered me to deliver this to you." Kenpachi glared at the box cart, knowing full well what was inside.

"Yeah, yeah," Kenpachi muttered, swinging his sword. Nemu bowed, and then spun on her heel, marching back to her squad's barracks. Kenpachi watched her retreat further and further down the dirt path.

He jabbed the back of his foot onto it, as it wiggled back and forth on its wheels. "Yachiru." She raised an eyebrow. "Go tell those two idiots that their delivery's here."

"Ai!" Yachiru saluted her captain, as she raced off to do her biddings. Kenpachi spitted beside the crate, beginning another fruitless search to find somebody worthy enough to fight.

**XLXLXL**

Yumichika and Ikkakuhad rapidly shunpoed to their appointed destination. Yachiru was perched on Ikkaku's back. "Ah, Ken-chan is gone!" the bubbly child exclaimed. Yachiru leaped off of Ikkaku's hairless head with a cackle. Ikkaku growled and reached for her, missing her flying leg. She stuck her tongue out at him.

He growled. "If she weren't our lieutenant, I'd be pummeling her to the ground by now!" Ikkaku seethed. Yumichika just rolled his eyes.

"Even if she weren't, you would do nothing." Yumichika flipped a section of his ebony hair behind a shoulder, inspecting his hand's fingernails as he did.

"Yumichika! Are you with me or against me?"

"It depends. What are you willing to pay me? You know my services never come without a price." The 5th seat wagged his finger in mockery.

The rattling and shaking of the box cart alerted the two out of their humorous mood.

Immediately, they aimed for their zanpaktous.

The box cart stopped shaking, and was at a standstill again.

They slowly eased themselves back, stashing their zanpaktous back into their sheaths. They eyed the box cautiously, waiting for anymore movement. The look they shared decided their choice of actions, wielding them onto the path of the Senkaimon without another glance back. They needed to get this to the World of the Living as soon as possible.

The box cart bounced as they wheeled it, but never moved.

**XLXLXL**

He felt light-headed. He rubbed the lids of his eyes, trying to stir awake, yawning as he did and stretching his arms. His foot touched solid wood, polished and mopped.

He swerved to his left and punched out of pure instinct when he felt someone hurtling towards him and received an "Oof!"

"Why do you always have to pull off stupid stunts like these in the morning, baka Oyaji?" he spat at his father, who was currently clutching at his stomach. His father raised him a thumbs up with a bloody nose, Ichigo rolling his eyes.

"Your kicks have improved greatly, my son," he congratulated, as Ichigo began to undress and throw on his usual ensemble for school. The closet door broke the loud morning's goings-on as a raven-haired shinigami peeled herself from her perch in her usual hide-out, stepping on something that evidently squeaked. Much to her chagrin, the stuffed animal beneath her foot involuntarily blurted an "Oof!" like Ichigo's father did, her brows knitting together in a scowl.

She glanced southwards to find herself staring at a plushy lion. Rukia kicked Kon from beneath her, Karin-soccer-ball-styled, with a grunt, as he zipped around the room with a flop onto the bed. With a final sigh, she straightened her uniform once more. "Good morning, my beautiful third daughter!" Isshin cried with a sense of glee.

"Oh, good morning, Isshin-san!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes again.

"Aww, Rukia-chan! You're making me sad!" His father snatched her palms into his own. "As far as I'm concerned, you can call me Dad- argh!" Ichigo swung his foot atop his father's empty head, as he fell to the floor again. He slung his bag over a shoulder.

"Come on, Rukia." Rukia stepped over the heap of Isshin on the floor, sprawled in an awkward fashion. Downstairs, it wasn't as rambunctious. Karin was eating her breakfast, while Yuzu was washing dishes.

"Oh, good morning, Onii-chan, Rukia-chan!" his blonde sister exclaimed, a pan in her hand as the other waved in greeting.

"Morning, Yuzu." Ichigo drew himself a chair, sighing as he sat. Rukia nodded in return.

"Morning," Karin greeted monotonously, sipping her orange juice.

"How could you leave your father up in that dingy room of yours, Ichigo?" Isshin complained, as he pointed an accusing finger. "I was so lonely! Masaki, why is our son so cruel?" His father clung onto a portrait of his mother's taken years ago, sobbing up a storm.

"Will you shut up, Dad? My morning's being ruined because of you," Karin hissed, crossing her arms.

"Karin! I'm just trying to liven up the mood!"

"All you're doing is pissing people off. Come on, Yuzu; we'll be late." Her fraternal twin sister dropped the sizzling pan into the sink with a few _clutters_ and _clatters_ here and there.

"We're off, everybody!" Yuzu yelled from the living room. Karin speedily put her shoes on, wanting out of her zealous household as soon as possible. With a wave over her shoulder, the two left the three individuals to their usual pattern of the morning.

"We should probably go too, Rukia." The boy bit off a piece of his toast, placing his scraped egg-laden plates into the sink along with Rukia's.

"Rukia-chan! Will you need anything in your bento? Notebooks? Pencils? A uniform perhaps?" Isshin laid out the titled items on the cleared table, as he gestured to each one. Ichigo sent his father a fisted palm to his face.

"Let's go." They exited the house with subconscious farewells, abandoning a very broken-boned Isshin behind.

"Don't you think you're being too harsh?" Rukia questioned with a giggle as they walked side by side to school.

"Please. I could've done worse to him than that, and he practically deserved it." Ichigo stashed his free hand into grey pockets as they carried on with their walk to school.

**XLXLXL**

"Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo steered his attention behind him, as he spotted a jogging orange-haired girl. Behind her was Ishida and Chad, the usual combo.

"Ah, Inoue, Chad, Ishida." Ichigo scratched the back of his head out of habit, his bag slung over his right shoulder.

"Do you have homework tonight, too?" Orihime ecstatically questioned.

"Oh, uh-" Ichigo began, when he heard a faint beeping from his left. He turned towards Rukia who was currently gazing at her Denreishinki, the phone detecting a hollow nearby.

"Ichigo!" Rukia alerted, while Ichigo dug his pockets for his Substitute Shinigami badge, patting it to his chest. His soul separated from his body, clad in black shinigami attire. The raven-haired Kuchiki swallowed a Gikongan, Chappy saluting her boss. "Chappy, take Ichigo's body back to the Kurosaki Clinic, and protect the household from any lurking hollow while we're gone."

"Roger!" The soul within the Gigai saluted with that incredibly silly smile, hefting Ichigo's lifeless body onto her back.

"Rukia, lead the way." Rukia nodded, as she shunpoed to the location, the berry-boy trailing behind her.

Orihime prayed.

Ichigo Kurosaki would lose his powers within a week or so, maybe a month from now. There was no definite answer. As long as he continued to exert his powers, he'd only be increasing the possibilities of his mundane life even further.

"Be careful, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime whispered.

**XLXLXL**

The hollow shrieked, stomping its skeletal toes on the ground, breaking the darkened concrete. Its orange mane wisped in the air behind it, atop its humungous head.

Ichigo grasped the hilt of his zanpaktou, Zangetsu, hitched on his back by a band. Gauze fell in waves, unwrapping from around his sword. The hollow turned his gaze onto Ichigo, screeching another round of fits. The right arm swung at him, elongating the length so that he had no choice but to block the blow with his zanpaktou.

The hollow screamed, rattling the ground.

Ichigo swung his sword and brought it down with as much force as he could muster. The hollow screeched in agony as its severed arm began regenerating.

"Ichigo! Be careful! This hollow can restore any of its severed limbs in a manner of seconds!" Rukia informed, itching to help.

"You think I haven't figured that out?" Ichigo shouted, using Zangetsu to obstruct the hollow's fingers from reaching him. The front heels of his feet were slowly being pushed back.

Rukia could see that he was having a bit of trouble trying to push the arm back, but she didn't interfere.

The hollow smashed its beaver-like tail on the ground, but Ichigo had already shunpoed to a different location.

"You never give up, do you?" Ichigo shook his head in disbelief, flaring his spiritual energy as a blue glow surrounded his figure.

Rukia frowned. This was a low-level hollow. Ichigo would've never had to blaze his reiatsu for such a weak foe.

_It only reminded her that soon,_very_soon, that he would…_

"Haaah!" Ichigo's battle-cry rang out, as he leaped into the open air, raising Zangetsu as far as his arm could take him. The hollow threw an elongated arm his way, knocking Ichigo into a nearby building.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried. This was going too far, and she needed to end it before it created any more damage. She unsheathed her zanpaktou, the blade reflecting off of the streetlights, as she placed it before her, the tip of the sword pointing south. "Mai, Sode No Shirayuki…" Four streaks of white light touched the ground before her. "Tsugi No Mai, Hakuren!" A pillar of ice shot forth from her zanpaktou, targeting the screaming monster. The ice served to cover the whole torso, causing it to disintegrate and vanish.

The petite Kuchiki blew out a short breath, as she returned to Ichigo, currently trying to stand. "Ichigo, are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine…" He stood fully erect, feeling his back aching and his head swirling with a headache. He stepped a foot in front of him, the ankle twisting. As he began to fall headfirst, Rukia caught him by the chest.

"Kuchiki-san, do you need assistance?" Rukia placed her best friend's head on her lap, her ears pricking at the sound of the familiar voice. She whipped her head behind her to be met with a man clad in a green suit, a bush of blonde hair hidden beneath a striped hat.

"Urahara…"

**XxxX**

"Urahara, this is insane! This puts Ichigo in a very dangerous spot!" Ichigo stirred in his sleep, rotating on his side. "I'm sorry, Urahara, but Ichigo's just going to have to decline this mission."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Miss Kuchiki, but I'm afraid that is not your choice." Urahara flipped his fan, fanning the bottom portion of his face. "And even if Kurosaki-san did have a say, the Soul Society would not accept his decision."

"There has to be some other way. I am sure that there are more fitting candidates to train this individual!" At this, Ichigo sat up, rubbing his left eye with the pad of his hand, and ruffling his hair with the other.

"Kuchiki, there's no negotiating with any of us. It won't change fate. In our personal opinions, a hollow, an _arrancar _at that, taking position as a soldier, is unbelievable. But, I'm willing to admit that I get where the Captain-Commander is getting this from." Yoruichi crossed her arms, folding her legs underneath her lithe body. Tessai gave each individual a hot, steaming cup of tea, bowing and then sitting formerly. "Arrancars are powerful, but do not have the proper intellect to know what right is from wrong, while Espada can guarantee what and where their actions will lead them. They have the strength of a high-level captain, and would lend great power to the army."

"But, there lies the fact that Espada are borne from hollows, and opinions of the Gotei 13 will not be pleasant, but what else is new?" Urahara stood to his feet, patting his thighs as he went.

"Wait! Doesn't the Central 46 have any say in this?" Rukia interjected, picking herself from the floor. Urahara stared at her with complete bleakness. Yoruichi sat still and plausible.

"The Central 46 has granted access to this problematic situation." Urahara slapped his fan closed, his hat obscuring his eyes. "This means… they're getting desperate." A flash of light flickered in his eyes. Rukia swallowed.

A sliding shoji door alerted the whispering participants.

They all glanced at a bed-ridden, orange-spiked shinigami boy, gazing at each and every one of them. "Urahara-san, you better start talking," Ichigo bluntly ordered. A smile began to form on the shop owner's lips as he stashed his fingers in a pocket and brought out a metallic bracelet with a silver cross dangling from it.

"This is the Tamishi Sutabiraiza, otherwise known as the Soul Stabilizer," Urahara explained, pointing at the contraption dangling in his fingertips. "Whenever clasped around an individual's wrist, their reiatsu is compressed so that the individual is reserved of any spiritual emitting, or spiritual use. Therefore, the soul will be deprived of any of its techniques. In our case, hindered of its Resurrección."

"Y-you mean-" Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, an Espada still remains," Urahara disclosed. "It is up to you to train this Espada."

"Whoa, whoa, wait! This is an Espada we're talking about!" Ichigo gripped at his tangerine locks, his feet itching to move backwards, forwards, left, and right. "This Espada can do major damage in about fifteen minutes, and you're telling me that I have to train whoever the hell this Espada is?"

"Hmm…" the older male thought in wonder."Why, yes! Ah!" Urahara yelped as an elbow collided with his nose. He fell to the floor with a thud.

"Ichigo, you have to understand that this Espada was sent here so that he could be trained _not _to sabotage the town. The Tamishi Sutabiraiza disables the Espada's use of any form of attack, and the only way the powers are to be regained is through the use of the locker, and that would be you," Yoruichi informed. "His zanpaktou's already been stored away, and only to be returned when you think the time is right. But, you have to remember that this could be a fatal risk. Once you give the zanpaktou back to the Espada, this Espada will surely react to its first instinct, and that is to be a hollow. Use your training wisely."

Ichigo gulped at the warning. "Wait, this is crazy! I never agreed to any of this! I don't even know this Espada, and you're telling me that I have to train him?" the boy asked with incredulity.

"On the contrary, Kurosaki-kun. This Espada has claimed to have fought you before. For that reason, the Captain-Commander thought it best that you be his instructor for you _do_ know him, and you have _indeed_ met him." Ichigo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He met this Espada before? Which one? The only Espada he fought at Las Noches was Ulquiorra Cifer, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, and partly Nnoitra Jiruga. If he broke it down, Ulquiorra had disintegrated. There was no retaliation from him in the past, and he knew for sure, not in the future.

Nnoitra was defeated by Kenpachi Zaraki.

_Which meant…_

"Which Espada survived?" Ichigo asked. Urahara looked shocked but regained his composure, and fanned away.

"Come take a look yourself."

"Hold on, the Espada doesn't have the Soul Stabilizer clasped around his wrist. How are you so sure that the Espada won't attack?" Rukia inquired.

The sound of wood being severed resounded.

Shoji doors were thrown forth, only to land at the front of the Urahara Shoten as smoke and soil flew in every which direction. Ururu and Jinta coughed, Tessai leading the two children far from the damage.

"Oh, dear. It seems the sedative has worn off from the estimated time." Urahara clicked his tongue, waving his head from side to side. The dust was beginning to clear, and just slightly, Ichigo could make out a muscular body underneath all the dirt. He sucked in a breath.

He knew exactly who this was.

Teal tresses were soon uncovered, light-blue eyebrows pulled together in a frown, as piercing, ocean-deep eyes with turquoise markings etched underneath the waterline of each were soon revealed.

A black haori was torn to shreds, exposing a rippled chest and abs.

Ichigo stared.

The silence filled the gaps in their empty minds. This did not look like any other ordinary Espada. No, this one looked human. This one was still capable of using its immense strength; _very_ capable. This one had the thirst of battle in his eyes. _This one was…_

"Grimmjow."


	3. Chapter 3: His Next Life

**Thank-Yous: **iLummieDemCookiez**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Junichiblue**/**Confusion No Hime**/**DevilishBea**/**Mayuzu

**Omg! I had a lot of reviews for those two chapters! I'm so happy, that I could cry *tears up* I thank everyone who favorited, alerted, or reviewed. **

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><p>Cats have nine lives.<p>

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 3: His Next Life]**

Grimmjow roamed his eyes above and below him, taking note of the clouds and buildings. Having made the conclusion of where he was, he began to analyze his body with skepticism; as if he did not and could not comprehend how he had been resuscitated from his oncoming death. He flexed his fingertips; touched the shape of his chest and felt the familiar long gash. He cracked his knuckles, liking how loud and prominent it was. He raised a palm, and cocked it outwards, a crimson orb swirling in the middle. A red beam shot off as it whizzed by the group clustered in front of him.

Everyone ducked for cover as the light passed by and exploded through the buildings behind them. Shop owners and confused household members exited their homes, searching for the source that caused the havoc. "This is great!" He extended his arm to his side, enveloping his fingers around thin air. When he felt no hilt in his hand, the vigorous smile he wore disappeared, his excitement replaced with anger.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo whipped his head behind him.

"Inoue! Chad! Ishida! Get out of here!" Before they could comply, a powerful pressure weighed down on their shoulders. Orihime, Chad, Ishida, as well as Ururu and Jinta had fallen to their knees from the incredible force. Ichigo stared at Grimmjow with wide, honey-nut irises. Wind whipped at the man's tresses, haori and hakama, a bluish glow surrounding his figure. The furious Espada clenched his fingers, balling them into taut fists.

"_Where is it?_" he seethed, his rage flowing in waves. Ichigo knew what the arrancar wanted- his zanpaktou. Abruptly, he felt something cold touch his fingertips. Urahara was tucking the Tamishi Sutabiraiza in his hands. He nodded in understanding, and met eyes with Grimmjow.

Digging through his left pocket, he fished out his Substitute Shinigami badge, and thumped it onto his breast. His spirit separated from his body, crashing onto the sandy ground as he fiddled for his zanpaktou.

Grimmjow's eyebrows rose. After the initial shock wore off, that same feral grin reappeared. "Hmph, I didn't expect to see ya so soon, Shinigami."

Ichigo positioned the balls of his feet coordinately underneath his weight, gripping the sword tighter to ready himself. "I didn't intend for you to." Ichigo observed him with narrowed eyes, watching keenly.

"You wanna fight? Che, I can beat you even without a zanpaktou." Grimmjow crouched on his haunches, readying himself for a spring at the shinigami, a malevolent smirk stretching the plains of his unmarred face.

"You seem to be forgetting, Grimmjow. The last time I checked, you were the one who was desperate to win the fight that _I_ had already won." The sixth Espada growled, his brows pointing downwards in an uninviting scowl.

"Shut the hell up!" The arrancar dashed forward with frightening velocity, Ichigo barely able to dodge the oncoming attack. He shunpoed to his right, Grimmjow's deadly descent to the ground creating a crater. Ichigo fell onto his knees, as he scurried to stand. Before he had time to recover from his fall, Grimmjow sonidoed to his spot. A fist clashed into his jaw, as he flew with mighty speed. His back collided with a sturdy brick building, many yards away from the Urahara Shoten.

He shakily stood to his feet, the taste of blood heavy in his mouth, and gashing down the side of his temple. He exhaled a fiery breath, even inhaling or exhaling enough to make him strain. As he tried to gather his wits, his instincts warned him of a looming assault near his periphery. With panic in his chest, he pushed on his foot and flew with lightning speed towards the sky. The cero directed towards him had nicked his elbow and half of his upper arm to his shoulder.

He hissed at the pain, trying with all his might to ignore the throbbing. His left arm wasn't functioning correctly, and could scarcely lift the bracelet. He grasped at his arm, biting his lip at the aching sensation. "What'sa matter, Shinigami? You seem to have gotten weaker. Why don't'cha whip up that hollow mask you used so much?" Grimmjow stood in front of him with a victorious grin, a mocking glare in his eyes. "Or is it because you're too chicken to fight me?" Ichigo frowned at the implication, but instead of retorting, he raised his zanpaktou, a scornful leer etched on his lips.

"No. You're not worth it."

Grimmjow lost his smile, as he growled. He crouched, igniting another scarlet cero in his palm.

"You wanna test that… Soul Reaper?"

**XLXLXL**

While the two fighters sparred above their heads, Orihime tended to the wounded. Ikkaku was underneath her orange globe of luminescence, twitching every now and then. The scratches and cuts he received on his hairless head and the rips in his clothing began to mend itself. Orihime focused on the spiritual energy around the 3rd seat.

Yumichika was seated beside her, watching his best friend intently. "The attack was brief… Ikkaku and I had no idea that that arrancar would be that strong." The 5th seat's voice was ominous, his fists retracting tighter than was before. Orihime eyed him with grief in her silvery irises, the corners of her lips pointing downwards. "I can't imagine what he'd be like with his zanpaktou." Inoue raised her eyes upwards, seeing Ichigo breathing with labored breaths, the Espada wearing a strong scowl on his features. _Kurosaki-kun, please be careful._

"Urahara, Ichigo is-" Chad began, but was halted by the blonde man's raised hand.

"Chad-san, I know what you want to say. But, you must consider his feelings. This is an enemy he has encountered and beaten before." Chad heard the man's words as clear as crystal, but still felt uneasy. Instead, he just nodded with an "Mmph," and brought his eyes skywards, fiddling with his abuelo's necklace.

**XLXLXL**

Grimmjow was, indeed, fast. He was swinging jabs and punches at him, ones he continually dodged, but that wasn't what he was aiming for. He had to have the man at his highest point of anger, and though he knew that his plan was outrageous, he knew that it would absolutely work as long as he used Getsuga Tensho and his hollow mask at the exact moment. He tightened his hold on Zangetsu. "What's up, Grimmjow? Your punches have gotten weaker. Are you afraid I'll call out my hollow mask, and I'll win again?"

"I told you to shut the hell up!" Grimmjow lunged at him with blinking speed and force, but instead of hitting the target he aimed for, Ichigo caught his fist. Ichigo stared into deep, cerulean irises.

"You already said that. Are your comebacks getting weaker, too?" The sixth Espada quickly withdrew from him, glaring with immense heat. "Why'd you back away, Grimmjow? In Hueco Mundo, you used your other arm to shoot a cero at me when I caught your fist. Were you always a coward?"

"Grr! If you won't shut up, I'll close your mouth for ya!" The cero formed in the Espada's hand within seconds, his anger fueling his assault's damage. The onlookers below them could only distinguish a cloud of smoke engulfing the sky in one patch, no shape or color but grey.

Ever so slowly, the wind brushed the smolders like fine hairs aside.

Ichigo's zanpaktou lay limp in his arm, his hand clasped around Grimmjow's wrist. A bracelet dangled on the man's wrist, as Ichigo retreated.

A turquoise outer skin outlined his body's shape, expanding like an inflating balloon and breaking into a million, tiny pieces. Before Grimmjow fell, Ichigo caught him by the wrist as he lowered them both to the Urahara Shoten grounds.

When they landed, Grimmjow plummeted to his knees, his chest heaving, and his hair in disarray. "W-what the hell did you do to me?" Grimmjow gazed at his trembling fingers, noticing the jangling bracelet around his wrist. Immediately, he attempted to pry it off, but it wouldn't budge. Instead he felt a massive force pound in the middle of his chest. Ichigo looked at him with disconcertion.

Grimmjow had attacked with a cero up close, and yet the boy had been able to come out unscathed by it. Ichigo hadn't dodged, but rammed into the cero with an upraised sword and a battle cry of "Getsuga Tensho!" He remembered that an elaborate mask had concealed the shinigami's face. Before he could react, warm fingertips had enveloped his wrist and along with it a bracelet.

"That is the Tamishi Sutabiraiza," Urahara informed, stepping forth and breaking him out of his recollection of events. Grimmjow only blinked up at him with furrowed brows, as Urahara snapped his fan apart and waved it beneath his nose. "When clasped around an individual's wrist or ankle, it hinders the utilization of one's own spiritual use. Therefore, you are merely a soul with the appearance of an evolved hollow."

Hearing the news himself, Grimmjow felt a tug of horror in his left pectoral, as he again tried to rip the chain that was binding him to this mundane function. That same pressure bolted in the middle of his chest, this time much more evident and painful, as he cowered on the ground from the shock.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What's happening to him?"

Urahara halted his fanning, and flipped the fan close. "Not only does the Soul Stabilizer compress a being's reiatsu, but it also merges with it. Every time the captive attempts to escape the bracelet that binds them to the locker, they are fiddling with their spiritual pressure. Basically, it's like pulling at an organ." Ichigo's eyebrows rose. He shifted his gaze back to the heaving arrancar, feeling apology rising at the back of his throat.

"Espada, why don't you join me for a cup of tea? I'm sure you have questions. I'll explain inside, if you promise to calm down." A hand was extended, offering help, but he merely brushed the hand aside with a "Che," and stood to his feet unsteadily. "Excellent. Tessai-san, can you brew us another round of green tea?"

**XLXLXL**

Every member seated themselves around the low table. Shoji doors were left apart a crack, Ururu and Jinta listening intently, waiting for a sound to be uttered besides the shuffling of Tessai's feet. Ishida and Chad didn't spare a glance at the Espada, while Orihime did the complete opposite.

Yoruichi had her arms crossed, matching that of Rukia's pose and scowl, eyeing the arrancar wearily for any threatening movements while Urahara remained nonchalant.

Ichigo resided in a different room, resting from his intense battle, bandages and gauze covering almost every inch of his wrecked body.

Once Urahara took a sip from his tea, he set it back down with a contented sigh. "So, what is your name, Espada?" he'd asked rather cheerfully.

Every person around the table eyed him with anticipation, as he sighed from the unwanted attention and scratched the back of his unruly hair. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

"Ah, okay, then. Would it be all right if I called you Grimm-kun for short?" Urahara cooed with his good-natured smile.

"No."

"Oh, come now, Grimm-kun! No need to be so serious!" Urahara waved his fan dismissively, as Grimmjow's eyebrow ticked.

"Look, quit with the introductory bullshit. I know you didn't bring me here for chit-chat, so just tell me what the hell I'm here for." Urahara's excited glow lowered; his aura was staid. His hat blanketed his eyes, as he fanned at the lower portion of his face.

"The 12th squad captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, scavenged you from Las Noches and brought you to Soul Society so you could be his test subject." Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at the unpleasant fantasy of being someone's science experiment. "When he asked for permission to dissect you, it was vetoed because he healed you without the consent of the Gotei 13. But, he was also given the option of sending you to Karakura-Cho to be trained."

Grimmjow clenched his jaw. "What am I training for?"

Urahara closed his ornate fan. "You are here to become a soldier for Soul Society."

Grimmjow growled and launched himself out of the room, knocking the two children eavesdropping to the floor. He opened every room of the shop, finding each one empty. When he reached the last room at the end of the hall, he saw a lump with orange spikes underneath a fuzzy blanket. He snatched it off.

"Oi! Wake the fuck up!" He kicked the bandaged man on his side, immediately waking Ichigo up from his slumber.

"What the hell?" Ichigo muttered, sitting up and rubbing at his ribs. Grimmjow straddled his hips, gripping onto his shirt with zealous charge. "Let me go!"

"Give me the lock to this piece of shit!" The Espada jerked his head towards his wrist where the bracelet hung low.

"I don't have it. Now get off!" Ichigo yanked at Grimmjow's wrists.

"Liar! You have it! You're the fucking locker. You were the one that attached this thing to me," he voiced through clenched teeth.

"I'm telling you! I don't have it!" Padding footsteps echoed in the hallway, as each individual from the opposite side of the house entered the room. Ishida and Chad abruptly snatched Grimmjow away from the orangette, as he thrashed about in their arms. "What the hell's going on?" Ichigo questioned, as he scratched the back of his head in irritation.

"He's just been informed of what Seireitei's planned for him. It seems he dislikes what they've got in store," Yoruichi clarified, as Ichigo gave the struggling man a stern frown.

"Hell yeah I don't like it!" He finally shrugged the two teenagers off of him. "Let me guess. Once I get back to that fucking shit of a Soul Society, I'll be experimented with anyway. That sick bastard's going to fucking mess with my innards."

Ichigo stood to his feet, approaching Urahara with flames in his eyes.

"You didn't tell me about this. What the hell is Soul Society thinking?" Ichigo shook his head in disapproval.

"For that, the reasons are still not clarified. But, Yoruichi-san is planning to depart to Seireitei in a few days' time to discover the reason," Urahara explained. "Now, Grimm-kun, please calm yourself."

"If you knew, you should've just kept your mouth shut," Grimmjow spat out.

"If I had, you would've continued to wonder what your purpose was here. And weren't you the one who wanted the information as soon as possible?" Grimmjow frowned petulantly. "Now, are we all calm and settled?" The sixth Espada slumped to the floor, still keeping his eyes and distance from the group. "I am taking that as a yes. Now, if you lot won't mind, we three must have a private chat. Ururu, Jinta, please hinder yourselves from listening." Tessai led the children away, as the others abandoned the scene, except Rukia.

Ichigo could clearly see she was worried. "Rukia, I'll be all right." She hesitated for a moment, and with a heavy exhale, she continued down the hall with worry weighing on her shoulders. Urahara peeked from left to right, and after deeming that they were in privacy, he closed the fusamas, veiling them in darkness.

Silence greeted them, as Urahara remained with his back facing them. "Oi, hats-and-clogs, are you gonna tell us anything or are you just going to stare out into space?" Suddenly, Urahara opened the doors again, alternating his head from left to right. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

He closed the doors, turning to face them. "I apologize. Yoruichi is very sneaky and quick in her shunpoes, so I had to listen intently to hear her footsteps." Urahara patted his thighs, and then leaned in with a hand cupping the side of his mouth. "Now, listen carefully," he whispered. "Seireitei is in a state of emergency, although the daily dangers are undefined. Souls are being swept of their existences, and even Mayuri can't trace them to Hueco Mundo, thus the discovery of Grimm-kun." Grimmjow inserted a scoff at the nickname. "The souls in the World of the Living have decreased as well, though death tolls have been high throughout the world, and this has led us to conclude that some kind of entity is devouring the budding souls that are to be sent to Soul Society. Hollows aren't the ones creating the mess, since reiatsu of any kind can't be detected.

"Soul Society is panicking because they don't know what's creating this uproar. Soul Reapers have also begun to recently disappear. At this point, the Central 46 thinks that Seireitei has been slacking off from their training because of the loss of captains to handle them. That's where you come in, Grimm-kun. But, I think I may have the mastermind behind all of this. It is-"

"What the hell are you doing, Kisuke?" The shoji doors were reopened.

"Ah, Yoruichi. I didn't hear you coming!" Yoruichi merely ignored him, and seated herself beside him.

"You know that it's dangerous to talk about this. Don't expose them to this threat just yet."

"No, now that you've gone and said it, go ahead and tell us. What the hell is going on in Seireitei?" Ichigo prodded, as Yoruichi shook her head in disappointment and disapproval, knowing that the boy would keep insisting until he got the answer to his question. Urahara gazed at him with glinting eyes.

"….Fallen Angels."

**XLXLXL**

The screen showed him a room of Kisuke Urahara's home, moonlight the only light source. Shihoin Yoruichi had recently crossed the threshold, and was seated beside the prior 12th squad captain. On the left corner of the screen, the color yellow-orange was displayed, representing the feeling of curiosity. "….Fallen angels," Kisuke Urahara had disclosed.

The scientist scratched at his chin in thought, humming as he did so. "Nemu," he barked out in his lab. She immediately came at the beckon of her name.

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

"Go look through the files of the Daireisho Archive. Be quick and leave no evidence of your presence."

"What would you like me to find, Mayuri-sama?"

He remained quiet, leaning against his chair. He hummed.

"... Research Fallen Angels."


	4. Chapter 4: Innocence

**Question Corner:**

**1. **_How come Yamamoto didn't just accept the old captains back? For example, the Visoreds or Urahara and Yoruichi: _**Well, to be honest, I never envisioned the Visoreds taking part in the story. But, if you guys want them to come back, I think I can manage that if you're really determined and if I think it benefits the story. For Urahara and Yoruichi, Soul Society banished them for something they never did, and though their ties have healed, I don't think Urahara or Yoruichi would want to return, even in the manga and anime at where they are now. They like being independent.**

**2. **_Urahara should've noticed the device Mayuri implanted in the room already. Why hasn't he: _**Hmm, well, to put it simply, re-read chappie one and two. Mayuri wasn't seeing Urahara and Yoruichi in the room through a camera or anything of the sort, and if you read even closer, you'll see that a tab is always on the side of his screen and it displays a color and interprets an emotion. I don't think cameras have emotions. **

**3. **_Isn't Ichigo slowly losing his powers? If so, how come he survived Grimm's attacks and such: _**Ichigo is **_**slowly **_**losing his powers. Think about it. Ichigo has an immense amount of reiatsu. Even if he were to lose his powers quickly, he would still have a LOT of power. Not to mention, he also has a zealous charge in protecting others. Ichigo can go beyond his limit just to save his friends and family, and that fight was counting on it. Anyways, I know when Ichigo is going to lose his powers and I'm doing it in my own way. It could happen in two days, months, years, it doesn't matter. In the manga, it even explains that Ichigo's loss of power was unpredictable, and this story isn't an exception.**

**And, 4. **_**This is Fanfiction: **_Not everything is going to be the same as the manga or anime, be it the enemies, the story plot, the dialogue, and the characterization of each character. This is purely meant for enjoyment, and the reason why I want them to be so in character is because I haven't seen anyone attempt it with this pairing before, and I couldn't sit around waiting for someone to do it when I could myself.

**So, in conclusion, this story will not be EXACT like the manga or anime. Just close to it, but not EXACT. Constructive criticism is always welcome in my book, just as long as it's reasonable and the thought process of "THIS IS FANFICTION," is locked into your head while you message me or review. I will always reply to things that may have been confusing people.**

**Thank-Woos: **Confusion No Hime**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**DevilishBea**/**thesleepless**/**Mayuzu**/**skyglazingmaro

**Thanks so much for the support and awesome pointers! **

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><p>Even bad guys can be innocent.<p>

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 4: Innocence]**

"Fallen Angels?" Ichigo asked, testing the foreign words on his tongue.

"Yes, the Tenshi no Namida," Urahara parroted in their native language, as Ichigo nodded his head in understanding. Ichigo fondled his chin in thought, trying to comprehend the concept of these spiritual beings. Just as he opened his mouth to voice out his thoughts, Yoruichi intervened with a raise of her palm.

"Save the questions till later. I'll be the one to explain things." The cat-lady rose to her feet, exiting the room without another glance back. Ichigo frowned at her, questions still roaming the recesses of his mind.

"Hey, hats-and-clogs, tell me something. Are these Fallen Angels worthy opponents?" Ichigo rolled his eyes at Grimmjow, brushing fingers through his standing spikes of tangerine hair.

"Well, I can't say for sure. I've never encountered one, nor do I plan to, but it's best to steer clear of them for now. The Tenshi no Namida are beings not to be reckoned with; do not underestimate their strength," Urahara answered, tapping the tip of his fan on a palm. "But, now that that's over, shall we discuss lighter subjects?" The blonde smiled at the two of them. Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Go on…" the Substitute Shinigami prodded. Urahara cleared his throat, readying himself for their reactions.

"Your bunks."

**XLXLXL**

"This fucking suit is a pain in the ass," the ex-Espada complained, pinching a patch of skin on his arm. Ichigo sighed.

"It's called a Gigai, dumbass," he corrected. Grimmjow stashed his fingers into his lend-me-down white jeans.

"Che. I don't see why it was necessary hats-and-clogs had to take my hollow mask off." Ichigo halted himself from rolling his eyes again, maintaining his pace.

"Idiot. If he hadn't, then people would think you were more of a maniac on top of that blue hair." He skidded to a stop as a beefy palm smacked his shoulder and spun him around. He was met with burning, blue irises.

"Hey, just because you're the locker doesn't mean I have to take your shit. Even though my powers are suppressed, it doesn't mean a fucking thing. I can still beat your ass right here, right now," Grimmjow threatened through clenched teeth, his words jabbing Ichigo like dull blades. Ichigo shrugged him off, mussing fingers through his apricot spikes.

"Look, save the theatrics for later. You can fight me after I've gotten my res-"

Grimmjow's war cry rang in his ears, as the heavy beats of feet on the ground alerted him. He immediately caught a flying fist in his hand, gripping tightly around the knuckles. "Grimmjow, quit it already."

Grimmjow grabbed for his shirt collar, bringing their faces closer, their breaths mingling in one off-beat chorus. "I don't like how you're talking down on me, Shinigami. Watch what you say, or you'll regret it." The man shook him once, and then rose to his feet.

"Look, I don't like this either-"

"I fucking loathe it."

"Whatever. We don't have any control over this. For some reason, Seireitei found goodness in you, though I can't imagine what the hell it is. We just have to make sure we don't end up killing each other."

"Don't count on it."

Ichigo sighed. As they made their way through alleyways and shortcuts toward the Kurosaki clinic, Ichigo kept wondering why Urahara had to send Grimmjow to his house. This just meant he had to share his room again.

Rukia had been planning to go back in a few weeks' time, and he was prepared to reclaim what was his. But the Espada had to arrive and take up the space the midget already took up. Urahara suggested she stayed in the shop for the remainder she was here, and though she protested, the blonde man was persistent on keeping her at the store. Ichigo had also been objecting to the proposal, but Urahara called it a sense of responsibility. _He had to keep an eye on the sixth Espada,_ the man had said.

"I'm back!" Ichigo yelled exasperatedly, as he entered the house with Grimmjow in tow, scrutinizing his setting.

"ICHIGO!" His fanatical father emerged from the dining room, speeding off towards his one and only son, personifying that of a bullet train. "You're late!" A foot crashed into Ichigo's face.

The blood relatives tumbled to the floor. As the two battled it out like scurrying ants, Grimmjow regarded them with apathy. He whipped his head to the sound of tiny footsteps in his periphery. The girl jolted in surprise, nearly dropping the ladle in her puny fingers.

"Oh, are you another one of Onii-chan's friends? Come on inside. I'm sure you two were freezing to death." The elfin girl waved him over, as he raised a quizzical eyebrow. He followed reluctantly. He came upon a bright room of sorts, his gaze following the girl.

She lifted the lid off of a silver pan, steam wafting in the air as the aroma struck his nostrils. He felt a sort of rumble in his stomach, finding it unusual since he never felt it before. He knew it had something to do with the Gigai and with what the girl did.

"Oi, what are ya doing?" he asked rather uninterestedly. The child met his gaze as she smiled.

"Why, I'm cooking, of course! I'm making shrimp tempura, with a side of rice, vegetables, miso soup, and fish! I sure hope you're not allergic to any of them," the tiny child wondered, poking at her bottom lip in thought as she stirred her food with the same ladle. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow, and took note of his surroundings once again.

He felt a type of aura stabbing him, as he turned his attention onto the offender. His eyes landed upon an ebony-haired child he hadn't noticed, hiding the bottom portion of her face behind a book.

"What?" Grimmjow hissed. The girl rolled her eyes with a disapproving shake of her head, going back to reading the book.

"Are you just gonna stand there like an idiot, or are you gonna sit?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. He was suddenly filled with the intent of choking the child, but the kid he met earlier deterred that when she rounded the counter to place dishes onto the empty table.

"Karin! Please be nice to Onii-chan's friend! Oh, that reminds me, I never introduced myself! I'm Yuzu, and this is my twin, Karin!" she reported exuberantly, as the other one eyed him with a keen stare. He rolled his eyes at their 180 degree turn of personalities, and received himself a chair, sitting himself firmly in place. He stared at the steaming food, wondering what to do next. Normally, in Hueco Mundo, when he felt hunger, he would escape from the confines of Las Noches and hunt. He'd catch at least about five to ten hollows; it varied on his mood.

Hollows didn't have a taste, or a smell. They were merely there to be eaten for the sake of surviving, and all this food was puzzling. He observed the girls, as they extended their fingers, chopsticks in hand, plucking fried shrimps onto their plates. He mimicked their movements. The shrimp fell from his utensils and back onto the plate.

He quirked an irritated eyebrow at the shrimp, narrowing his eyes. He tried, and tried, and after much work, he slowly guided his arm back onto his plate when he heard "RUKIA-CHAN!" being shouted. Arms surrounded him, the shrimp dropping from his chopsticks and to the table. With a growl, he snapped the pair of chopsticks in half and punched the offender in the face.

**XLXLXL**

Ichigo lifted the comforter and situated it onto the floor, a pillow and blanket adorning the surface. "Oi, get off my bed. This is where you'll be sleeping." Grimmjow, having punched his idiotic father, had tromped upstairs in a fit of rage, slamming the door. He conversed with his father, and had thankfully convinced him to go to the store with the girls before all hell broke loose.

He had immediately stomped upstairs, surprisingly finding Grimmjow lying on the bed. He had been staring at the ceiling, and finding no other way to amend for his old man's idiocy, he began to set up a futon.

Ichigo sighed, smoothing out the edges of the covers. "If you're going to sleep on my bed, at least take a shower." Ichigo scratched the back of his head in annoyance as Grimmjow sat up.

"What the hell's a shower?"

"It's what people do to clean themselves off. You just turn the handles to the right, and set it. The bathroom's two doors down from here," Ichigo relayed, as the arrancar stood to his feet and exited the room. He raised a carroty eyebrow, watching the man close the door with a light click. Finding no other chore to do, he sifted through his clothes for Grimmjow to wear.

He knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Hey, I put your- hm?" He brought his eyes to the floor, feeling wetness cling to his feet. He lifted his foot to examine it, and it was dripping with water. "Oi! What the hell are you doing in there?" He tried to wiggle the door, but it was locked. He started to bombard the door with his shoulder.

The door opened with a bang, water flooding out the bathroom. "Grimmjow? Hey, where the hell are you?"

He hunted for him, but couldn't make out any sign of teal tresses. _What if the man had drowned in his own bathwater? _

His eyes widened when he spotted the blue tufts. Immediately, he traipsed his way through all the water and soap. He found the arrancar submerged in water, his eyes the only exception.

Grimmjow scooted himself upwards, leaning against the shower walls. "What the fuck do you want now?"

"What the hell are you doing? Why is there so much water?" Ichigo looked at the spout, and as suspected, it was still running. "You dumbass! You're supposed to turn it off!" He shook his head, turning the handle.

Grimmjow stood to his feet, sighing with irritation.

"Here. Cover up, will ya?" Ichigo threw a towel at him, smacking him in the face. Grimmjow growled at him, but he ignored it. "Your clothes are in the room. And… don't walk around naked." The Espada blinked at him as he wiped at his body, and then walked out of the room, disregarding what he just said.

Ichigo scowled. He was only glad that his sisters were at the store. To cool himself off, he traipsed down the stairs, and sat on the couch, pressing a button on the remote.

A commercial advertising a brand of condom came on.

"What the hell's a condom?" Ichigo jolted from the sudden voice beside his ear, whipping around to be met with the side of the arrancar's cheek, and sighed in relief to find him donned in his nightwear. _That was damn quick._ Ichigo scratched at his hair and cleared his throat, not sure how to word it.

"Uh, ever heard of the birds and the bees?"

"No, am I supposed to know?" The blue-haired jumped over the couch, and seated himself firmly. Ichigo smacked his forehead, already knowing that the night was going to be a long one. There was a lot this man had to learn, and he wasn't sure he could get around every subject without feeling like a petty child explaining everything. He knew for certain he wasn't going to introduce porn anytime soon. _God knew what viruses the computer would get_. "And what the hell do birds or bees have to do with condoms in the first place?"

Ichigo cleared his throat once more, prompting himself. "Well, when a man and woman like each other, I guess, they, um, _go_ at it_._ Bees pollinate flowers, while birds spread the- ah, fuck this. Research it or something, I don't know." Ichigo stood to his feet, rubbing at his eyes, as he climbed the stairs and into his room without another look behind him. He had always hated the talk of sex, and it seemed even using metaphors were taxing.

Ichigo heard the incessant calling of Grimmjow from downstairs, but ignored it.

He rushed to his bed, hiding underneath the covers, glad that he was able to claim his mattress before the other man could. He turned on his side. When he heard the door open with a squeal, light flooding his room, he stiffened. He heard weighty footsteps against the wooden floorboards.

Ichigo was surprised to hear air puffing out from the air mattress. He turned over and glanced over his bed to find Grimmjow tucked in and facing away from him. He sighed in relief, his stiff body beginning to soften. He just hoped the arrancar wouldn't kill him in his sleep.

**XLXLXL**

His alarm clock rang out with repetitive onomatopoeia, as his arm extended from his body to land on the snooze button, but instead of the hard surface he was anticipating, he felt warm, smooth flesh. He snapped his eyes open like immediate blinds, his pupils zeroing in on a dormant Espada's face. He frowned. The man stirred in his sleep, his arm suddenly shooting forward, wrapping arms around him. Ichigo squirmed beneath the tight grip, finding that the man was stronger during his sleep.

Grimmjow's nose poked his own, their lips a hairsbreadth from colliding. As the Espada's head lolled to the side, their lips grew closer. "Grimmjow," he growled. Without another second of deliberation, he pushed the man from his chest. Grimmjow tumbled off of the bed, landing with a heavy thud on the floor with a groan. Ichigo banged a fist on his still beeping alarm clock, throwing his sheets aside. "What the hell were you doing on my bed?"

Grimmjow merely rolled his eyes at his aggravated tone. "The mattress was fucking uncomfortable, so I slept on your bed. You're lucky I didn't punch your lights out when you drooled on me, Shinigami," he explained, stabbing his fingers through silky, blue hair. Ichigo's eyes widened at the news, as he immediately wiped at his mouth.

"I didn't do that, you asshole!" Ichigo rebuffed with a puff of his chest.

"Whatever. So, what's on the agenda today, _Ichigo-sama_?" Ichigo blinked at the petty name.

"How am I supposed to know?" Ichigo crossed his arms, as Grimmjow stood to his feet and ambled out of the room. "Oi, where you going?" The teenager followed behind the arrancar, as he watched the man slowly glide down the stairs.

"Onii-chan! What happened to the bathroom last night?" Ichigo turned to his sister's voice, as he took in her figure wiping up the remnants of water. He slapped his forehead in recognition, having forgotten to soak the water in a towel because of a certain somebody.

"Oh, sorry about that, Yuz. I got kind of carried away with, uh, hanging out with Grimmjow." She eased herself to her feet, as she wrung the dampened towel over a bucket.

"Grimmjow? Is he from a different country?" Yuzu asked innocently, as her older brother rubbed the back of his neck in thought.

"Ah, yeah, he's from… Spain, and he just moved here because he wanted to help out at his uncle's shop." Ichigo thought the fictional storybook in his head was going good, if he did say so himself. "But… Grimmjow can't stay at his uncle's house because... there's not enough room, but, for the remainder of the time he's here, he'll just sleep in my room so that he won't be out on the streets." Yuzu nodded at her brother's explanation, as she rubbed her chin in serious thinking.

"But, how about Rukia-chan? Where is she? I could've sworn she was here yesterday."

"Ah, yeah, she was, but she willingly gave up her spot in my room because she felt that Grimmjow needed it more than her."

"Oh, well that was awfully nice of Rukia-san! But, where is she staying at now?" Ichigo scratched at his temple in deep thought, and finding the first name in his mind, he immediately said it.

"She's staying at Inoue's right now." Yuzu bobbed her head up and down in understanding, as she picked up her bucket.

"Well, I hope that she's all right. Oh, and breakfast is ready for you and your friend, Onii-chan!"

"Thanks, Yuzu." She giggled as he ruffled her hair. He quickly jogged down the stairs, and entered the kitchen, surprised to find Grimmjow sitting at the dinner table. _At least he was behaving himself_, he thought as he poured himself some juice.

"Oi, do you know what a condom is?"

Ichigo's hand slipped, the glass cup falling to the floor and breaking.

Karin stopped and raised an eyebrow at Ichigo. She lowered the bread onto her plate, wagging her head from side to side in disappointment.

"Quite an innocent friend you got, Ichi-nii," she muttered.

Ichigo smacked his forehead for the umpteenth time.

* * *

><p><strong>RE-RE: I tried revising this chapter after not having read it for about one or two years. And it sucked. I changed a lot of stuff, but it STILL sucks, so I just gave up, lol. If I keep trying to revise it, I'd have to rewrite every fucking thing, and that wouldn't be fun for anyone.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Master and Slave

**Thank-Yous: **skyglazingmaro**/**thesleepless**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Mesutora**/**Confusion No Hime

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chappie! **

* * *

><p>Sometimes, life is just unfair.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 5: Master and Slave]**

_He had to get home, _was chanted in his head as he briskly alternated between each foot back to his house. Nothing else echoed in his mind but that one sentence. The weekend had trudged along quite sluggishly, and that was all because of a certain blue-haired arrancar. The man did nothing but try to get under his skin, and frankly, it was irritating. He always asked absurd questions, and jabbered on and on.

His idiotic father told him to be quiet once, but the arrancar merely spit on the carpet, and climbed upstairs, ignoring everyone's protests, including his own. Now that the week was upon him, school had taken up most of his schedule, and he couldn't keep an eye on the petty hollow. Rukia had returned along with Yoruichi to Soul Society, so she couldn't keep an eye on the arrancar for him.

He could've sent the Espada to Urahara's, but Grimmjow just had to be difficult, and refused. He said there wasn't T.V. there, so Ichigo had let him stay, albeit reluctantly. He knew Yuzu and Karin would be at school, so they'd be safe, and his father would be at work. But, what worried him out of anything was what the Espada would do _alone._ The guy was pretty unpredictable, and Ichigo knew he would do something stupid if he didn't return quickly. So, he continued on his pace. Of course he could run, but he chose not to or else he'd just attract trouble on himself.

His feet stopped, ears perking up at the sound of sirens wailing. He forgot absolutely everything about running, and sprinted towards the sound, knowing full well that it was coming from near his house. Just as he'd suspected, an ambulance was parked in front of his house, the red and blue lights flashing. Cop cars and fire trucks were present. A fireman walked out of his house.

He saw that the man was holding a burnt pan still smoking in his gloved palms, held away from his body. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked. He searched with his eyes for any kind of answer, and when he spotted blueness to his right, he charged towards it, a rather deep scowl on his face. "Hey! What the hell did you do?" He shoved the man's shoulder, as said man glared at the orangette.

Grimmjow sighed, already been asked this for the umpteenth time today. He stuck a finger in his ear, picking at any remaining wax, his usual habit when uninterested in a certain topic. "I was fucking starving, so I tried making whatever shit you had." Grimmjow rolled his eyes at the simplicity of it all. Ichigo blinked at him, as he smacked his forehead in irritation yet again.

"Okay, from now on, don't cook anything. _Ever,_" Ichigo emphasized, while Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow.

"Che, you can't boss me around."

"I can for as long as you're wearing that bracelet." Instead of the frown Ichigo thought the man would display, a cocky smirk broke on his lips as he leaned in closer. Through pure, base instinct, Ichigo backed away from the man's nose.

"Don't think for one second that that'll control me." Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows at the man's words, the blue-haired individual stashing his fingers in his pockets and walking back inside the house.

"Onii-chan! What happened?" Yuzu, along with his ebony-stranded sister, Karin, were jogging towards him, back from school. Ichigo shook his head in disbelief, and just offered a smile.

"Nothing happened, Yuzu." After much explaining to the authorities that nothing else would be needed, they finally left, and the gathering neighbors in addition. Ichigo exhaled an exasperated sigh, absolutely sure that the troublesome day wasn't over yet. He entered the house with his siblings and glared at the back of teal hair. He waited for his sisters to go into their tiny kitchenette, and when he deemed that they were out of hearing perception, he stomped over to the Espada and cracked his knuckles.

"Oi, you better clean up whatever mess you made. If you wanna keep staying at home by yourself, don't burn the house down!" Ichigo blathered on with fury in his eyes, as Grimmjow sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck in nonchalance.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the man mumbled, keeping his sole focus on the television. Ichigo felt an eyebrow tick.

"Oi! Stop trying to drown out my voice or-"

"Ah, quit your yapping! I got your point, now leave me the hell alone before I bust your ass." At the proclamation, Ichigo's control snapped as he lurched forward and grabbed hold of whatever shirt Grimmjow was wearing.

"Shut the hell up!" The orangette peered into the arrancar's blue eyes, watching with apathy. His brows were deadly knitted together, and his teeth were bared in anger, fists constricting around the white V-neck even tighter. Grimmjow exhaled noisily, wrapping his fingers around tanned wrists and ripping them off.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he was pinned to the carpet.

Grimmjow tightened his hold, as he glared plenty at him. "Let me go, you bastard!" Ichigo tried to wriggle his way out of the ex-Espada's clutches, but it wasn't working.

Grimmjow smirked and let him go, sprawling his arms over the couch.

"Che, you talk big, but you can't even raise a finger against me."

"Shut up! I was caught off guard, okay?" Grimmjow's feral grin lowered to a frown; watched the T.V.'s display of Don Kanonji and his silly adventures. "W-what?" Ichigo questioned, quite baffled at the man's sudden shift of expression.

"Keh, you shouldn't let your guard down in front of an arrancar anyway."

**XLXLXL**

The mad scientist watched the two men converse with one another. The orangette fought for control, but it was no use, for the Espada's strength was greater. He shook his head in disappointment, wondering how the arrancar was beaten by this weakling.

"Shut up! I was caught off guard, okay?" the boy shouted in embarrassment. The tab on his screen transformed into red from yellow, as he cocked a quizzical eyebrow.

"Oh?" he muttered. _Anger. _His research specimen was such an entertainment. He didn't care whether he had other work to treat. He didn't care if a battle sprang out in Seireitei. All he wanted was to watch this arrancar interact with other beings and see his reaction towards them.

"Excuse me, Master Mayuri." He lifted his head.

"What is it?"

"I have found information on the Tenshi No Namida from the Daireisho Archive." She bowed in earnest, as her master fully spun his chair to face her, a wide, maniacal smirk plastered on his face.

"Relay it to me."

**XLXLXL**

"No! Sleep on the floor this time!" Clearly the man wasn't listening to his protests, and climbed aboard his bed like a cunning cat.

"No fucking way. If you want to sleep by yourself, why don't you sleep on the shitty floor?"

"Ugh, never mind!" Ichigo tucked himself under the blanket, as he jutted out his bottom lip in annoyance. He didn't understand why this man always slept on his bed, not to mention the zealous cuddling he did whenever he was fast asleep.

_This man could kill him in his sleep! He really could! _It wasn't like he was afraid of him, but the fact remained that this man could very well overpower him. They could brawl, and he knew Grimmjow would immediately win that due to his immense strength. They could clash swords, but that would worsen the situation. It wasn't like Grimmjow had his sword to begin with. Abruptly, he felt movement stir beside him, and he stiffened in reaction. He knew what was going to come, and he just braced himself for it.

As he suspected, Grimmjow's arm flung around his waist, his face snuggling between the juncture of his shoulder blade and neck. Ichigo, of course, tried to wiggle out of the firm grip, but it was always in vain. Each time he even moved an inch, the man would lock his arms around him even tighter, constricting around his figure until he knew his lungs would give out. But, he had to keep trying. For once, he wanted to earn a good night's sleep. So he forged on. "Oi, stop moving, will ya?"

Ichigo stopped at the utterance of the man's words. He tried to steer his face around to peek at the man, but Grimmjow's face beside his neck was deterring that. "You're awake?"

Grimmjow scoffed. "If you'd stop wriggling around like fish out o' water, I wouldn't be." Ichigo crossed his arms indignantly.

"Leggo of me, Grimmjow! Why do you always try to cuddle with me when you're sleeping?" Ichigo asked agitated. Grimmjow sighed, the whooshing air hitting the tanned skin of Ichigo's neck, making him shiver from the warmth in contrast to the cold of his room.

"What the hell's the matter with cubglin, or whatever you just said?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know what cuddling is?" Grimmjow drove his attention elsewhere with a "Che," as Ichigo blinked at the man's humiliation. "Uh, cuddling is really only reserved for people who are… Um, what do ya call it? Intimate." Ichigo coughed into his hand to try to clear his throat. _Maybe this would cause the man not to cuddle with him again!_ "So… it's uncomfortable just doing it to anyone, so can you move?" When he felt Grimmjow's grip around him constrict further, he gritted his teeth. "Oi! Leggo! I just said that this was for people in relationships!"

"Just shut your trap. I'm comfortable in this position, and I don't give a damn if this is only for humans." Ichigo seethed from the man's words, as he contemplated killing him. Grimmjow leaned closer to his form, feeling the firm chest on his back. With a determined cry, he flipped their positions so that he was straddling him, bolting the sixth Espada's wrists on the bed.

"I said that I was uncomfortable, so that means get off of me!" Ichigo half whispered and half yelled. Grimmjow stared up at him with a slightly enraged expression, but Ichigo disregarded it and pursued on. "Use your pillow if you wanna cuddle with something, just not-"

The arrancar switched their positions again. "Look here, Shinigami," Grimmjow warned, while Ichigo ground his teeth in incense. "I don't know about you, but I'm fucking tired. I'll do whatever the hell I want. I don't give a flying fuck if you're uncomfortable." With that, the man tumbled beside him yet again, reclaiming his waist.

"Fuck you, Grimmjow!"

**XLXLXL**

The bell rang, yet Ichigo wasn't looking forward to going home today. He tapped his books on his desk to level them out, stashing them into his school bag. He rubbed at his swollen eyes, and eased out of his chair. "Ichigo!" He ducked from the exuberant voice, and as he had calculated, a leaping brunette had landed a few feet off, able to have jumped his head if he hadn't swooped down in time. He glared at his idiotic friend, throwing the bag over his shoulder and traipsing out of the classroom.

"Hey, hold on, Ichigo! Let's hang out tonight! We're doing that less and less, and you seem like you-"

"Sorry, Keigo. I really can't. I have to do something at home, so it'll just have to be put off for now." Keigo whined at the rejection, but kept pestering the orangette until they reached the gates.

"Mr. Asano, it'd be best if you didn't bother Ichigo. I can see he's not up for your petty complaints," his shorter friend, Mizuiro, pointed out, pressing buttons on his phone.

"I told you, stop being so formal! It really bugs me…" When Ichigo brought his eyes upwards from the ground, it landed on something he thought he wouldn't see here, the voices of his friends tuned out of his head like a radio abruptly shushed. The first thing to register in his brain was blue, and then the next was that he had to get the man out of everyone's sight.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He shifted his attention behind him, and found his apricot-haired friend jogging towards him. "Kurosaki-kun, did you finish last night's homework? It really did my head in." She giggled at herself. Ishida and Chad were heading towards him as well, but everything that was on his mind was the urge to get the Espada out of their sights. He could feel the man's stare on his back.

"Sorry, Inoue, but I really have to go!" Before she could utter out another word, he spun around and dashed towards the blue-haired moron. Orihime dipped her head to the side in inquiry, and when her eyes zeroed in on what he was speeding off to, they widened.

"Grimmjow…" she trailed off, as she watched the two's altercation to what she could see was Ichigo yelling at him.

"What the hell do ya think you're doing here? You're supposed to be inside the house!" Ichigo spouted, as he stomped his foot to emphasize his point. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, hands stuffed into his clean pair of jeans.

"I was bored out of my mind, so I walked." The sixth Espada ruffled his blue locks, aggravation beginning to unravel inside him. "Guess I should've taken a different route, seeing as how I've displeased you, _Ichigo-sama_." Ichigo's passing classmates whispered to the nearest person near them, no doubt questioning why this man was calling him his master.

His hand recoiled into a fist. "Let's just go." Ichigo commenced on his walk, but when he didn't hear following footsteps, he stopped and peered behind him. Grimmjow was standing as still as a statue, hands in his pockets, his hair drifting in the wind. "Hm?" He trailed the man's gaze, and found that he was analyzing a couple a few feet off, pecking each other on the lips. Ichigo's nervousness escalated, knowing that the male would ask about this certain display of affection, so he had to get the man away before he began to ask it now.

He jogged towards the blunet, grabbing his toned arm. "Come on, Grimmjow. Let's go!" He tried to pull with all his might, but the arrancar was planted on the ground. Grimmjow watched the male lean back from the female, noticing the spread of redness on her cheeks. A grin spread like butter-on-toast upon his lips, as he spun around to meet the boy's eyes. Seeing the malicious grin on the Espada's face, Ichigo swallowed hugely. "What?"

Without another moment's time, Grimmjow wrapped a fist around the Soul Reaper's uniform, a hand underneath his chin. He tilted the boy's face towards his, and connected their lips. Gasps rang out around the campus, the orangette frozen like a block of ice. Grimmjow's eyes remained on his chocolate ones, a concentration in his eyes Ichigo had only ever seen in combat.

Ishida cleared his throat, pushing the frame of his glasses upwards, while Chad remained with a mouth snapped apart in shock. Orihime was blushing massively, Tatsuki matching her expression like a pair of socks. Keigo and Mizuiro quit their jabbering, staring at a scene they thought they'd never _ever_ see, their thought processes matching that of the surrounding students.

Grimmjow released his chin, and smirked, acquiring the expression he wanted to see. A bright sprinkling of red floated to the surface of his cheeks as he stayed still and vexed. He opened his mouth to scream profanity, but nothing came out, the words stuck in his throat. "Come on, _Ichigo-sama._ You still have to feed me." Grimmjow smirked. He ran his fingers through tangerine locks, and continued through the gates without another glance back.

The shocked students remained staring. His friends lingered as electrified as he was, the first out of the group to say something being Keigo. "So… that's what Ichigo had to do at home?"

**XLXLXL**

"Why the hell did you do that?" Ichigo gripped at his hair, his anger so high he couldn't think correctly. After regaining the feeling in his legs, he had sprinted home and searched for the offender, and found that the man was in his room, the window open and allowing wind to enter. Grimmjow wasn't even paying him a morsel of attention, and frankly, it was getting on his nerves. "Oi, listen!" He pulled the man towards his face by the shirt, fury hanging around him in waves. Grimmjow found the opportunity to be perfect, and zoomed in towards the Shinigami's face and stole another lip-to-lip.

Ichigo jumped back immediately, colliding with his closet door, that powerful blush shining on his cheeks once again. "S-stop doing that!" Grimmjow stood to his foot, walking towards the cowering male. His side-smirk grew.

"What'sa matter, Shinigami? Did I hit a nerve?" He placed both his palms beside the boy's head, disallowing any escape from happening.

"Kissing me won't do anything, asshole!"

"Oh? Wanna test that… Shinigami?" Grimmjow inclined his head nearer, causing Ichigo to back away instinctually. Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled the man even closer. Their lips smacked together in a firm collision, Ichigo imagining a girl's lips instead of the Espada's. But, when he felt a slimy appendage poking at his bottom lip, his eyes snapped open. Grimmjow infiltrated his mouth, as he whined from the funny sensation.

He tried to pry the arrancar away from him, but instead, Grimmjow was slowly guiding him to the floor. Once his back was fully seated on the floorboards, the Espada straddled him, continuing his assault. As much as he fought it, the arrancar dominated every move his tongue was doing to try to push it back into its original cavern. Grimmjow grunted, stashing his whole tongue inside Ichigo's lips, coaxing a pent-up breath out of him.

When the thought registered in his mind that the boy was human and had to breathe, Grimmjow ended the kiss with a last peck, saliva the only thing still connecting their swollen lips. "Where the hell did you learn that?" Ichigo asked, quite breathless. Grimmjow grinned with his poking canines.

"Syazel always watched these weird videos on his computer, and I'd watch it with him." Ichigo paled at whatever Grimmjow could've been watching. Grimmjow chortled, as Ichigo shoved him off with irritation.

A hollow shrieked in the distance.

Grimmjow's laughter died, while Ichigo's eyes widened from the familiar sound coming from his window. He stood to his feet, abruptly scavenging for his Shinigami badge, and when he found it, he stabbed it to his chest. His soul tumbled from out of his body, as he fingered for his hilt and leaped from the window. He listened to the sound of the hollow's shrieks, and found it on a nearby street.

"Hey, you! You're making a lot of racket, don't you think?" Ichigo bounded into the air, swinging Zangetsu above his head in frenzy. But, before his sword could come down and slice the astounded hollow, an image of blue flittered before his eyes and the hollow was sent flying in a different direction. He landed safely to the ground, wheeling his attention onto the intervening arrancar. "What the hell, Grimmjow!"

Grimmjow grinned at him. "I've been getting kinda rusty, cooped up in that house o' yers. I think it's time I begin sharpening my skills again." With a grunt, he sprung from the ground, landing on the hollow's centipede-like body. The hollow screeched from his descent on its body, as Grimmjow raised a fist, and stroke a blow on its chest.

"Grimmjow-"

"If you don't shut up, I'll kiss ya again." Ichigo's eye twitched at the threat, but said nothing.

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><p><strong>It's probably going to take a while to get to the smut, but these two need to develop, because after all, they haven't ever tried anything other than kissing so far. I'm pretty sure they're still clueless about everything else. So, please be patient, and the smut will be there before you know it! Oh, and I almost forgot about Kon. I gotta introduce him into this story again somehow. He was in the second chapter, but it was a very small portion of it. Well, he'll come back eventually.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Visitor

**Question Corner:**

_Why is Ichigo so much weaker than Grimmjow?: _**My reason is that I see Ichigo as a more slender, built boy, while Grimmjow is more on the broader side of masculinity. I think Ichigo is quite strong- stronger than the normal human being, but I don't think he'd win in a fist fight against Grimmjow. In a spiritual sense, I believe Ichigo will always win against Grimmjow, 'cause let's face it, Ichi is the protagonist and he's the king of power-ups, "muh-muh friends need me, even though I'm dying." All that jazz.**

**Thank-Woos: **DeanBeans13**/**thesleepless**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Asuki Mona Zetsumei**/**skyglazingMaro**/**anime-lover890**/**DevilishBea**/**Mesutora

**I had so many reviews from the last chapter! Thanks so much you guys.**

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><p>A man with a boomerang.<p>

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 6: Unexpected Visitor]**

"I've been traveling high and low." A red, torn cape whizzed behind him, his straw hat tipping slightly, as he said, "Searching for a beautiful maiden's caring hands, but all I have come up with is the fantasy of her plump valleys pressing against me." He looked up from his perch on the ground, discarding his garments, and letting his yellow covering breathe. "Ichigo, it is time I return to yo- huh?" As he leaped from his place on the street, he landed upon an open window, being met with the orangette spouting curses left to right.

"I fucking told you! Get off the damn bed!" The teenager began to haul the Espada onto his feet, but tried as he might, the arrancar merely remained where he was, a smug grin eating his face.

"Careful, Shinigami. With enough prodding, I might just unleash my weapon on you again."

"What weapon?" Ichigo questioned with incredulity. Abruptly, he was tugged towards the bed, a teal-haired male hovering above him, that same smirk spreading on his lips. The man began to lower himself, their faces inching closer and closer. Ichigo blushed at the remembrance of the kiss they had shared days before, and he wasn't too keen on replaying it again. His eyebrow ticked at the man's idea of a _weapon, _shoving the sixth Espada from his body. Grimmjow whirled to his right, knocking aside a soft object by his elbow on the window.

The lion plushy flew with lightning speed towards the grass, as he landed with a squeak. He jumped to his feet, and waved a fist at the boy's bedroom window. "Damn you, Ichigo! Is that how you treat a friend who's been missing?" Multiple, popped veins encircled his head, indicating his irritation. Immediately, he heard the squeal of a door, and he abruptly positioned himself to that of a dormant stuffed toy.

"Come on, Oyajii! We'll be late for Karin's soccer game!" a high-pitched female voice called out. A girl with blonde hair rushed out from the house, her running footsteps halting when she saw the lion toy sprawled out over the ground. Kon's sweat rained bullets down his golden face, as he tried to will the girl away through telepathy. _Go away! I'm not here! I'm not here! _"Bostov! There you are!" the girl exclaimed, speeding off towards the stuffed toy. She picked him up gingerly, and dusted the dirt from his legs and rear. "Oh, no! You've got a rip near your eye. But, don't worry! I'll fix you right up!" she chirped cheerfully.

_Anything but that!_

"Get lost, you old goat!"

"Argh!" His father flew out of the door, falling on the sidewalk. The man quickly regained his ability to stand, and leaped onto the balls of his feet, pointing an accusing finger at Ichigo. "My son, when have you become so cruel? I was just asking you when you were going to Karin's game!"

"Yeah, well, you could've done that without breaking my door! Geez!" the orangette raged. "And, we won't be going. Grimmjow needs help with some-"

"My son, I see now. You're at that phase. I understand. I have gone through the same moments, and I give you my full support, so… have fun, my son!" His father added a thumbs up to show his approval, but it only proved to bestow him a powerful punch to his nose. The proud father collapsed, as a ghost of some sort floated from his mouth to show his near-death arrival.

"Shut up! Stop trying to connect the dots with pieces of your life, ya damn old goat!" With a scoff, the eldest child stomped towards the house with fury still rolling off of his figure in waves. _Ichigo, don't leave me,_ Kon cried to him inwardly, as the door slammed into place. Yuzu smiled at him warmly.

**XLXLXL**

The young Substitute Shinigami clomped to his room, his hands formed into fists. "Hey, if you wanna fucking eat, then you'd better- huh?" He swept his eyes throughout his bedroom, and found no trace of the man he was ready to pound his fist with. He scratched at his apricot hair, cocking an eyebrow in wonder. He raced downstairs as if in a marathon, calling the man's name, but no response came in return. "Damn! Where'd that bastard go?"

He rushed into the kitchen, but there were no signs of the blue-haired individual. He checked in each room, but the man seemed to have vanished completely out of existence. Ichigo exhaled a frustrated breath, and sprinted into his room to grab his jacket, slipping his arms into the sleeves, and then jogged down the stairs, locking the door as he fled.

He eyed the street from left to right, but he had no idea where he could've gone. He gripped at his hair in aggravation, and snuffed out his Substitute Shinigami badge, stabbing his chest with it. His soul tumbled out, his body falling behind him as he caught the arm in time before it crashed onto the ground. He hefted the body over his shoulder, and jumped with the use of his feet.

He wasn't any good at sniffing out reiatsu, but he certainly couldn't let the arrancar wander around unwatched. He shunpoed around Karakura-Cho, making sure that no passersby saw his body flung around as if a ragdoll across the sky. He investigated every spot the man could be: school, the grocery store, or the Urahara Shoten. Anywhere else, Ichigo didn't know. He had swooped to the ground, and knocked on the door with a blushing Ururu welcoming him inside. "Urahara, have you seen Grimmjow?"

The blonde shopkeeper blinked at him underneath his green-and-white hat. "You've lost him, _already_?"

"Just tell me if you have! I don't have time for this!" Ichigo crossed his arms, a scowl adorning his face.

The man stood to his feet, patting his thighs. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun, but he hasn't been around here. But, we'll keep a lookout for him in case he runs by."

"Ah, thanks, Urahara," Ichigo relayed quite awkwardly, but continued on his search vigorously. When he arrived above the scene of his sister's soccer game, he smiled, catching the sight of his sibling kicking the ball with lightning speed towards the goal. The goalkeeper didn't stand a chance, the ball thwacking the net with deadly precision. His younger sister cheered along with her teammates, as Yuzu joined into their hype. He saw his father ruffle Karin's hair, as she swatted it away, while Yuzu giggled.

He shook his head briskly, regaining his right mind as he focused on the current task. He was on the verge of taking off once more, when he glimpsed a speck of blue in his peripheral. He spun his head around, and indeed, he was correct in his speculations. The Espada was seated on the roof of Karin and Yuzu's school, watching the game pursue on to its finish with a rather dull expression on his features. He growled, shunpoing to his designated spot, and re-entering his body.

He flexed his fingers to get the blood flowing within them, as he set determined footsteps toward Grimmjow. "Hey, bastard!" Ichigo pointed with a shaking finger. "You can't just disappear like that! If you wanted to come, you should've just told me!" Grimmjow scoffed under his breath, and stood to his feet.

"Shut up, will ya? I was curious about this _soccer_ game, or whatever the fuck you want to call it, so I thought I'd see it myself. I don't see the point why your family is so excited about it." The Espada scratched at his neck, elongating it as he informed the Shinigami of his reasons. "All you do is kick a ball around. I don't see what's so interesting about that."

"If it wasn't exciting, then you should've just gone home!" When Grimmjow's expression turned grim with hidden anger, Ichigo backed a tiny amount and swallowed his saliva. "If you wanna leave the house so badly, then ask me first, and then I'll take you there, got it?"

When the former Espada approached him, he stepped backwards, trying to gain the space that he needed. He bumped against a scratchy wall, Grimmjow placing both arms against the wall to barricade him. Ichigo peered up at the taller man anxiously, and gazed at pure seriousness and wrath. "I don't have a home, and your home sure as hell isn't mine. I don't belong anywhere, so don't treat me like a human."

At the statement, Ichigo felt a vein burst above his left eyebrow, his hair flaring wildly in the wind. "What the hell? I didn't say it was your '_home-sweet-home_,' I said _home_ as in get your ass back at the house. So which one of us was really treating you like a human_?_" Grimmjow growled with anger clearly etched across his face.

"Look here, punk. Don't talk to me like you're the shit. I can punch a hole right through ya, so don't goad me." Ichigo sneered at the man's threat, and scoffed.

"Haven't we gone over this before?" Ichigo scratched at his hair with an exasperated sigh. "I'm not talking like anything. I'm just saying what's on my mind." He felt his shirt being twisted over his left pectoral, as Grimmjow pulled him closer.

"Bullshit," Grimmjow seethed, as he pulled his arm back and swung his fist, hurtling towards an awestruck Shinigami.

**XLXLXL**

Urahara rushed to the entrance of his shop, smiling widely. "Ah, Yoruichi-san, you've returned!" he exclaimed brightly, but instead of the playful smirk he was anticipating, she presented him with an ominous scowl, her eyes displaying a gaze of concern and slight disappointment. The former 12th captain's smile faded, as he matched that of her expression. "It's true, then?" When his best friend nodded reluctantly, he stepped aside to allow her access into his shop.

They sat themselves around the low table. "What did you find?" Yoruichi gazed with sullen eyes, her hands tightening with so much force that her nails nearly dug into her skin. Silence filled the gaps of the air, as Urahara and Tessai awaited her next words.

"They're back…" The purple-haired Shunpo Queen bowed her head in discontentment, Tessai and Urahara remaining ever so still. "And _stronger_…"

**XLXLXL**

"Haaah!" Ichigo belted out as he charged at Grimmjow who was already poised for the incoming attack. The Shinigami grunted as he was thrust backwards with palms against his chest. He skidded across the roof on his shoes, as they remained a far distance from each other, battle worded in the open atmosphere between them. Wind picked at their clothes and hair, as they charged towards the other with flamed fists.

"Give it up, Shinigami." Ichigo repeatedly punched at Grimmjow's arms, blocking him any access towards his abdomen or face. "You can't win a fight with me through fists!"

With all the strength he could muster in his arm, flowing from his shoulder blade to his fingernail, he dealt a powerful thrust with immense speed and precision, breaking through the barrier of Grimmjow's arms and colliding with smooth skin. Grimmjow's head flew back, as he recovered his stance, and wiped at his bottom lip. Blood smudged on his cheek. He glared arrogantly at the young man before him.

"Heh! Is that all you got?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes, compressing his balled hands even tighter. Grimmjow spit blood, the blood splattering on the floor.

"Enough, Grimmjow. I've had enough of your shit. I'm just sick and tired of the same things that you do." Ichigo closed his eyes, worn out by the man's ridiculous tactics thus far. "Whatever's on your mind is your business, but don't take it out on me. Fighting helps you vent, sure, but it's not the best way. If you don't wanna be accepted, fine. Just know you'll be the same thing you were back in Hueco Mundo… a hollow." The former sixth Espada's eyes widened at the revolting name, as he lunged forward without warning, his teeth bared.

"I'll kill you, Kurosaki Ichigo!" As Ichigo readied himself for the oncoming attack, a hollow screech sounded in the air, Grimmjow's fist stopping abruptly. Grimmjow's, as well as Ichigo's eyes were wide with astonishment, as they turned to look at the field. From where he stood, Ichigo could see that Karin could feel the hollow approaching as well. _He had to kill it before anyone was harmed! _He rapidly rummaged through his pockets and anywhere fabric took place, but his badge was nowhere.

His panic began to escalate as he heard the first heavy thud of footsteps. Karin was clearly seeing the hollow's menacing body shape by the look of terror in her eyes, and that's when Ichigo's fright skyrocketed. "Karin!" he shouted, as the roar of the hollow drowned out his voice. A flash of blue to his right alerted him that something had jumped off of the roof, aiming towards the hollow. The hollow slowly turned towards the smirking Grimmjow, as his feet crashed onto its masked head, causing it to crack immediately. Ichigo stood in awe, as he came to the realization that Grimmjow was in a Gigai.

He sped off towards the stairs, racing towards the gym's locker room. _That idiot! He's going to break a bone!_ He opened the backdoor, exiting the building as he eyed the crowd, mouths agape and eyes wide with amazement. The crowd of people watched the man stand on mid-air, whispering amongst themselves about a magical act. He steered his attention back onto the arrancar, a look of disdain in his eyes as he stomped his foot on the hollow once again. The hollow screeched from the harsh treatment, Grimmjow leaping off of its head and grabbing hold of the horn sticking from its visor.

Grimmjow ripped said horn off of its mask. He struck a hole through its abdomen, as the hollow stood frozen, its zealous movements and screams ending. Grimmjow's eyes were furrowed, his mouth set on a terrifying scowl. "I'm nothing like you," he muttered. The spiritual monster began to crumble and turn to dust, rising upwards to the atmosphere and finally dissolving.

The soccer game had halted its course, all of the students' focus- as well as the audience's- directed on the man who jumped from a roof five stories high. Ichigo watched the man's blood slither from an upended part of his wrist towards the dirt, his face showing no sign of pain or hurt but placid arrogance. After the initial shock wore off, he slapped his forehead at the man's brash actions. "Grimmjow! You damn-"

Abruptly, his sentence was cut off as a foot smashed the back of his skull. The crowd watched the orangette fall to the ground; from what force, they didn't know. "You fool!" He poked his head from out of the crater he created with his face, as he whirled around to fill the person's ear with profanity.

"Rukia, Renji!" Instead of the words he was ready to shoot like a bullet from a gun, his mind had registered the two beings in front of him before anything else. "Why are you guys here?" Rukia lowered her eyes. Her eyebrows knitted together as she slapped his cheek. "Hey! What's up with all the slapping and stepping? Geez!"

"Idiot! How could you let the arrancar wander around like this? The humans saw it! You should be ashamed of how you've been handling him, Ichigo!"

"Don't worry, Rukia, I'm on it," Renji informed as he tugged a Kikan Shinki from his Shinigami uniform. He pressed a button, a Chappy bunny flinging out from a spring. Pink smoke exploded throughout the field, the memories of the arrancar's fight with the hollow erased from the humans' minds. The red-head sighed, stuffing the device into his garments. "So, that's the arrancar? The one Kurotsuchi-taichou found?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that's him."

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow questioned.

"I could say the same to you, Espada," Renji retorted, a scowl drawn on his lips and tattooed eyebrows.

"Che," Grimmjow scoffed. "It's not like I care enough to know who you are in the first place."

"What did you say!" Rukia held the flaming red-head, as he stepped forward with the intent to fight.

"Renji!" the younger Kuchiki warned. Her best friend glanced at her, and hesitantly nodded, positioning himself as he was before. After releasing a sigh, the charcoal-stranded female tossed a badge to the Substitute Shinigami which he barely received in his hands. "Here. I found it on the roof. I think you can put it to better use."

"Ah, thanks, Rukia,"

"Make sure not to lose it next time?" Ichigo simply offered the elfin girl a smile, as he spun around to glimpse at the Espada.

"Hey, you! You're in a fucking Gigai, so you won't be able to do all the weird shit ya do when you're in your soul form, got that?" Grimmjow stared at him with apathy, and with a scoff, turned his head. The orangette ticked a carroty eyebrow at the rude act, and sauntered forward, slapping the man on the shoulder. "Oi, don't pretend like you don't hear me, you bastard!" When Grimmjow continued ignoring him, he spun him around and held him by a grip of his white V-neck. "Hey! Listen, will ya?"

"Shut up. You're making my ears bleed." For emphasis, Grimmjow stuck his pinkie in his ear and twirled it.

"Well, I wouldn't be yelling if you just said something!"

"Fuck you. I'll answer if I wanna answer."

While the two bickered back and forth, Rukia and Renji looked on in a state of wonderment, watching the two men arguing like children over a lollipop. Finally taking enough of the childishness, Rukia stepped forward and smacked the orange-top's head. "Ow! What the hell, Rukia? He's the one who started it!"

"Fool! Don't you feel the change in the atmosphere?" Ichigo reclaimed his common scowl, an appearance of vexation resting upon his features. "There's another hollow just south from here; me and Renji will-" she started, but her best friend stopped her sentence with a palm. "Ichigo?"

"No, it's okay. I'll go. You go and take Grimmjow to Urahara's to get fixed." Rukia seemed to ponder the situation for quite a while, but after sighing, she nodded in understanding.

As Ichigo began to turn away from his friends, Renji interjected. "Ah, Ichigo, I'll come with you," he volunteered, but a hand to his chest by a pale palm told him otherwise. He glanced downwards, and saw that the Kuchiki was waving her head from left to right, indicating her disapproval. When she gazed up at him, her brows set in a furrow, and her lips in a thin line, he knew that Rukia was doing this for their friend. Renji brought his eyes upwards at his orange-haired companion, his back straight and ready, showing his determination to extinguish the hollow. "Ichigo…" he muttered to himself.

"Hey, if you think you're going to nurse me and do with me as you like, you'd better screw your head on right." Each one of the Shinigami whirled on the Espada, confusion evident in their different shades of eyes. "I'm not a weak human who can't take a few scratches. This"-he lifted his bleeding hand-"is nothing to me." Without another word to the group, he sprinted where the shortest Shinigami indicated the hollow would be, attempting to find it by instinct. _He wasn't going to be coddled, and he certainly wasn't going to pass up a fight. _He smirked, battle flashing in his navy-blue eyes.

**XLXLXL**

The three seated around the table remained in silence, and after soaking in her last statement, the blonde man decided to interrupt the quiet. "What is their goal?" Yoruichi glimpsed into his eyes, a swirl of emotions he couldn't discern.

"They're growing an army so they can infiltrate Soul Society and wage war." Gasps escaped from Urahara and his massive subordinate. "They've masked themselves with the Ishi o Borroku found by the Himitus clan. It blocks out any and all reiatsu near it. This might be the possible explanation to why Kurotsuchi couldn't trace any spiritual pressure." Yoruichi's eyebrows knitted together even tighter. "With this device… we won't be able to track them."

**XLXLXL**

As Ichigo leaped across buildings with a lithe grace, he couldn't help but think that very soon, he would…

He shook his head to disrupt the thought, and focused on the task at hand. He noticed Grimmjow sprinting on sidewalks with deadly speed as he quickened his pace. _The man was in a Gigai! How was he able to keep up? _He jumped off of the building, landing on the ground on one knee. He stared at the hideous hollow with scornfulness. "Hey, you! You need to stop screaming your head off like you're on a freaking roller coaster." The mantis-like hollow leisurely turned its head, a malevolent glint in each of its glowing, crimson eyes.

"Soul Reaper! I thought you'd never come! What's the hold up? Got a broken arm?" An arm abruptly rose, only to come back down with killing intent. Ichigo whipped his zanpaktou out from its gauze, blocking the measly attack without much effort. "Hm, I'm going to have fun devouring you!" The hollow withdrew, only to lurch forward, but before it could make contact with the Shinigami's blade, something flashed by, punching it in its abdomen.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Why the hell do you keep on messing with my fights? I got here first!"

"Heh, you're just unhappy that I got the first strike."

"Shut the hell up, you fucking Blueberry!"

"Who the hell do you think you are, _Strawberry!_" The hollow unsteadily stood back on its hind legs, catching the two men going off at each others' throats. The mantis rubbed at its belly, seeing the mark embalmed on its stomach.

"You'll pay for this, you damn punk!" the hollow screeched, dashing towards the two to seize them off-guard, but two fists flew at him with a simultaneous shout of "Don't get in the way!" from the two males. The hollow soared a few yards away, tumbling onto an empty street. "Why you little-" But as the hollow stood to create another assault, a glint of metal flashed by, one that had flown between the arrancar and Shinigami's heads. The two froze, as the same weapon flew back the same way it came, much like a boomerang would.

Both males traced the direction of the blade, and caught the boomerang-like weapon being snatched by a handle with pale fingers, the nails painted black. He was perched on a nearby building, head bowed down, as his long, onyx hair drifted in the wind, shrouding his unknown face. He wore nothing else but a torn, black hakama and buckled boots, toned muscles everywhere the eye could see. He stood to his feet, hair dividing to display who he was. A malicious smirk was placed upon his lips as he leaned his weapon on a shoulder, black wings unfolding behind him with some drifting down to touch the orangette's forehead.

"Are you Grimmjow Jeagerjaques?"


	7. Chapter 7: Fallen

**Thank-Woos: **Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**thesleepless**/**skyglazingmaro**/**Asuki Mona Zetsumei**/**DevilishBea**/**Confusion No Hime**/**Grimm-SemeXIchi-Uke**/**ichibanseiken**/**AkurnaSkulblaka**/**Arena the Inferno**/**Mayonaka-chan

**Thank you to all of you! Brownies and love to all!~**

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><p>Falling is the veneer for flying. They just end differently.<p>

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 7: Fallen]**

The winged man flapped his wings, gently landing upon the ground in a graceful manner. His hair softly breezed across his eyes, glowing a brilliant, menacing crimson, his teeth glinting-as if diamonds. His buckled boots crunched the gravel underneath his feet, as he took predatory steps forward. The orangette's almond eyes widened, feeling no sign of reiatsu pressing his shoulders down.

_It was as if he didn't have spiritual pressure…_

"Well… aren't ya?"

The man's smooth baritone interrupted his reverie, as he furrowed his eyebrows, and gripped the hilt of his zanpaktou even tighter. As he opened his mouth to release his current question, Grimmjow's booming voice beat him to it. "Who's asking?" The arrancar narrowed his eyes distrustfully, as the winged man merely shook his head in amusement, laughter that of taunting and maliciousness. The angel grabbed the weapon off of his shoulder, pointing it towards them. Grimmjow and Ichigo poised themselves for attack, eyeing the suspicious man cautiously.

"I'm not here to fight…" The shinigami considered the sentence carefully. "Unless… you put up one!" With a grunt, the feathered male threw his boomerang-like blade, the blade swinging toward the two in their astonished states. Ichigo immediately spotted the attack hurtling by, and used his shunpo to wrap his arm around Grimmjow's waist, hauling him to a different location.

"Oi, what the-"

"Not right now, Grimmjow. Just stay here, and I'll-"

"You'll do what? Last time I checked, I was stronger than you, Shinigami- HAH!" Ichigo felt the air whip past his face, the ex-Espada aiming a fist towards the onyx-haired being. Grimmjow smirked, hovering above him.

As his arm came down, the man vanished, blood the only thing he could see.

He fell to his knees, breathing heavily through his mouth as he grabbed at his chest, gushing out large amounts of blood. "Y-you bastard-" he tried to word out. _Damn this stupid-ass Gigai!_

"Give it up, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Let's face it. I'm stronger than you." The winged male stood beside him, as he smirked triumphantly. "If you surrender then no harm will befall you. But, I can't guarantee the same for the Shini-" The angel bent backwards as he felt the whoosh of air, a fist close to making contact with his face.

"I'm your opponent, so don't go thinking you can fight someone else when you haven't killed me yet!" With another swing of his balled fingers, his fist dashed through fine silk of hair, retracting quickly and jabbing from his left arm to right arm in an inhuman speed. Each one was evaded, the winged being smiling maniacally at the arrancar, who held the similar expression on his features. With all of the force he could muster, he thrust his arm forward, only to smack into cold blade, cutting the skin on his knuckles.

The raven-haired man was blocking with the boomerang sword. Although Grimmjow's arm shook from his immense pushing against the weapon, he displayed no sign of difficulty on his gleeful face. The winged man hadn't moved an inch, his grin transforming into a frown at the weak push against his sword. Having enough of the same position, Grimmjow raised his leg and swung it forth, but as before, the man had escaped his blow, shunpoing behind him. The sword was pointed at his throat.

_Damn it, _he cursed inwardly. He awaited the slice of the man's weapon on his neck; felt the male's arms around him disappear. He searched the streets, catching the black tresses a few yards away. The man's attention was no longer on him, but was on a different male, particularly a Shinigami a few feet away.

Ichigo was quickly able to defect the blow. The angel smirked. "Hmm, it seems you're not so weak after all." Ichigo held the hilt of his sword, not uttering one word, waiting for his opponent to commence an assault. When the winged being got the hint, he thrust his sword and it flew towards him.

The Substitute Shinigami swiftly leaped to the air, eluding the weapon. When he dropped to the ground, he ducked instantaneously, the blade's return cutting his upper spikes of hair a millimeter. The man caught the weapon as it whizzed towards him, lowering it towards his waist, that same smirk plastered on his lips. Wind wafted between their bodies, picking at Ichigo's robes, and at the man's tendrils of hair. "…Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" The winged male situated his weapon on a shoulder, raising his chin.

"Heh… My name's Hato, Hato Sengoku, and I came here to capture Grimmjow Jeagerjaques!"

At the explanation, the orangette's eyes enlarged as he released a powerful shout, charging towards Sengoku, who had expected the attack, using his wings to lift him off of the ground, and bring him back down. Ichigo rapidly spun around, bouncing with the help of his toes and into the air. As he soared above Sengoku, the winged male raised his eyes upwards to meet with Ichigo's.

Ichigo froze when saw Grimmjow in Sengoku's place.

He then felt the iciness of a blade pierce through his abdomen and out his back and traced the shimmer of the sword, leading into the hand of its owner, as he coughed out blood. The paleness of the fingers led to a smirking face, that of the winged man, Hato Sengoku. He slowly turned his head, though shakily, to find that Grimmjow was a few yards away, his cerulean eyes wide with shock. He could've sworn he saw Grimmjow standing before him, about to meet with his zanpaktou with that signature smirk of his. "…Grimmjow…" he mumbled, as the boomerang-like sword exited his body, sending signals of pain to his brain.

Sengoku turned his focus onto the wide-eyed arrancar, beginning to stride over.

Ichigo lied on the heated concrete, willing his body to stand and move about, but it was to no avail. Lethargy was beginning to pull at his lids, and he knew if he closed his eyes even momentarily, he would never open them again.

_He had to protect him! He had to protect…_

He watched as Grimmjow tried to avoid the flying boomerang, and although he dodged most of the blade, it sliced his lower arm, pain clearly etched on his expression. _No…_ _Stand up…_

The sword sliced the arrancar's ankles, immobilizing him as he descended to the ground. Sengoku advanced towards him, as Grimmjow growled in frustration. _Damn this Gigai! Damn it to hell! _As Sengoku raised the boomerang above his head to bring downwards, a blue streak in his peripheral alerted him to jump away from the unmoving Espada. He whirled his attention to his right, catching a glimpse of a male holding what seemed to be a glowing bow and arrow. His glasses glinted in the Sun.

A smile broke on Sengoku's lips. "Hmph, a Quincy, eh? I didn't expect ya to join the party!" Ishida pulled his arm back, his lighted string widening to hint that he would shoot at any given moment if necessary.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo heard the thuds of footsteps to his left. She knelt beside him, hurriedly calling her Shun Shun Rikka, a familiar globe of orange surrounding his body.

"I-Inoue-" he began, flicking his eyes over at Grimmjow who laid sprawled out on the floor.

"I'll fix you right up, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime promised, pressing her palms against the healing orb. With as much strength he could muster, he held her wrist, stopping her. "Kuro… saki-kun?" the well-endowed female asked in confusion.

"Inoue, please… heal… Grimmjow first…" Before he could see her comply with his request, he felt a sudden throbbing in his chest, the organs behind his sternum feeling like they were being tugged from his body painfully slowly. A bloodcurdling cry ripped from his lungs, his pectorals feeling as if being forced open and apart.

"Kurosaki-kun? Kurosaki-kun!" His friend's words warbled in his ears, her voice slowly fading away.

**XLXLXL**

_He failed… He couldn't protect… Couldn't protect…_

The winged male abruptly made an appearance, that same, unnerving smirk on his face. Ichigo's fingers were numb, yet coiled into his palm, the sword held tight and ready to bring down.

_Ichigo!_

The man's smile was drifting closer and closer beneath him, raising his eyes to stare at Ichigo's descending figure.

_Ichigo!_

_The face was no other than Grimmjow's…_

"Ichigo!" His eyes snapped apart, the image of purple, red, orange, blue, and brown blurred in his vision. He blinked to focus his perception, and once he was in control, he noticed that Rukia, Renji, Inoue, Ishida, and Chad were surrounding his futon.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you okay?" As he tried to grasp what was occurring around him, his eyes did not register a teal mop of hair, causing him to shoot forth, shocking his friends at his sudden movement.

"Where? Where is he?" he asked in frenzy.

"Where's who, Ichigo?" Rukia asked. When the teenager realized his actions, he relaxed himself with an exhale of a breath. The doors separated, two familiar adults striding into the room.

"U-Urahara-san, Yoruichi-san!" he exclaimed, as the two seated themselves beside Chad, their facial expressions that of ominous and grave display. At the tense atmosphere, Ichigo's carroty eyebrows knitted together in a somber way of telepathic comprehension. Silence engulfed them, the shopkeeper the first to interrupt its constricting pressure.

"I take it that you've met one, Kurosaki-san…" Ichigo's eyes widened at the man's words. Urahara stared at him with shadowed silver eyes. The boy lowered his eyes, fiddling with his fingers as the image of the winged man showed up again. "That... was a Tenshi no Namida." The Substitute Shinigami interlocked his fingers, fury resonating throughout every vein in his body. _He couldn't protect…_

"We shouldn't be talking about them, but seeing as how the situation is, being informed would be safer," Yoruichi explained. "Kuchiki, Abarai, I'm sure you two have heard some information about them."

"Yes. The Tenshi no Namida were executed by the order of Central 46 for activating the Soshinyoku, a stone that enabled transportation to different dimensions," Rukia informed, her expression steely and somewhat troubled.

"The Tenshi no Namida were once pure angels. They were the stereotypical kind-hearted and white-feathered souls," Yoruichi began. Ichigo remembered the Fallen Angel he met by the park, black feathers instead of white. "If an angel violated any law of the Soul Society, they were disbanded from the Gadiankoto, the squads that protected, and _only_ protected the Soul King. A seal was placed on an angel's arm, indicating that they were part of the Gadiankoto. This seal was to always subject them into purity. Once this seal is unlocked, their hearts will receive the burdens they were once blocked of, corrupting their mind, body, and soul.

"If an angel transformed, they were to be completely eliminated, because their sealed powers would be unleashed. An angel is not fully at its most powerful with the seal, but without one… it could become very problematic." Orihime swallowed in nervousness.

"There are three main types of Tenshi no Namida." Yoruichi held one finger up. "Each angel was able to bestow a gift upon anyone they thought worthy, but once released from the seal those gifts were nothing more than bad omens. The most dangerous Fallen Angel is one that can devour your soul. Each time reiatsu is aimed at them they receive it into their bodies until their opponent loses all of it, and is eventually killed. These are called the Foma."

She held two of her fingers up. "The second most dangerous Fallen Angel is the Forowa. They're able to enter dreams in close proximity and are able to toy with their surroundings. If they were to kill you in your dream, you would be killed in your physical body as well. The only way to escape the link is to find the Fallen Angel and disrupt him. And the third…" Ichigo waited with bated breath.

"The Fasado…" Yoruichi drove her eyes over to Ichigo's, as if communicating that she knew what he had seen, causing him to clutch at his blanket in anxiousness. "These Tenshi no Namida reflect one's own desires or loved ones into an opponent's eyes so as to cause hesitancies and indecisiveness." As Yoruichi relayed her last statement, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Ichigo's eyes widened, the information echoing in his brain. _His desires or loved ones… _He shook his head mentally. "Not only do these talents make them lethal and possibly immortal, their reiatsu cannot be sensed by even the most skilled tracker in the universe. That is what makes them so dangerous. You will never sense where they are…" Yoruichi seemed to ponder over something in her head, but after much contemplation, she nodded and brought her eyes upwards to meet with each of them. "The Himitus Clan was the Research and Development facility back then. They found different kinds of stones with different kinds of abilities, and paying witness to the powers of the stones, Central 46 deemed that the stones were precarious; therefore it was up to the Gadiankoto to guard these stones.

"The only people who knew of the Himitus Clan's discoveries were the Head-Captain of the Gotei 13, Central 46, the Gadiankoto, and the Soul King. Just as Kuchiki explained, the angels were executed for activating the Soshinyoku, which at the time, no one but the Soul King and the Gadiankoto knew about." Each of the listeners bowed their heads in understanding. "Because the Gadiankoto knew much of the Himitus Clan and their inventions, they formed an alliance. Once the Gadiankoto was destroyed, it was left for the Gotei 13 to protect Soul Society. The Himitus Clan laid low after awhile until this day…" Yoruichi sighed.

"When I returned in Soul Society, I knew for a fact that the Tenshi no Namida were back, because the Himitus Clan was slaughtered." Each one of them gasped from the shocking news, Yoruichi and Urahara hanging their heads low in honor of the famous clan. "Because the Fallen Angels' spiritual pressures were concealed, they easily snuck in, and using the Ishi o Borroku, a stone uncovered originally by the Himitus Clan, it obscured the decreasing reiatsu of the Himitus people. The Gotei 13 didn't know an ounce about the massacre until I informed them about it."

"Wait, what would they need the Ishi o Borroku for? They already have concealed reiatsu, so it wouldn't make sense why they would need to take it by force," Renji interjected.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that if a Fallen Angel is nearby, it will conceal another being's spiritual energy. It only hides their own. With the Ishi o Borroku, the energy of the stone surrounds whoever is close by. As long as the stone is near them, their reiatsu will remain undetectable." Renji nodded in understanding.

"I apologize for interrupting, Yoruichi-san, but… what could the Fallen Angels want from Soul Society?" Rukia asked. Ichigo reeled back to what the Fallen Angel said.

_"Heh… My name's Hato, Hato Sengoku, and I came here to capture Grimmjow Jeagerjaques!"_

His bottom lip quivered at the remembrance of those words, as he inhaled through his nose to calm his nerves. Yoruichi eyed the elfin Kuchiki with a keen eye. "I believe they plan to activate the Soshinyoku once again. For what purpose, I don't exactly know, but… I think they want revenge for the slaughter of their people. Despite this, we should all remain alert." With this said, the Shunpo Queen stood to her feet, exiting the room without another glance back. Everyone exhaled a pent-up breath, stiffened backs slouching in released tension.

"Ishida-san, I recall that you arrived with Sado-san and Inoue-san, confronting the Fallen Angel. Would you mind elaborating?" Urahara asked, flipping his fan. Ishida pushed on the frame of his glasses, clearing his throat.

"When Inoue-san, Sado-kun, and I appeared, the Fallen Angel seemed to have been targeting the arrancar." Ichigo's chest tightened from the memory, as he exhaled through his nostrils. "Kurosaki was in a near-death situation, and the Fallen Angel disappeared without another word… as if using a Shunpo…" Ishida's eyebrows furrowed, going over the reasons in his head. "That was when Kurosaki began to scream, and you and Yoruichi arrived."

When Ichigo realized that he had, indeed, been screaming, he gripped at his forehead. He felt a palm grab his shoulder, and saw that the hand belonged to the wise shopkeeper. The orangette sighed, and sat up straight, awaiting the man's next words. Urahara dug through his robes, and when he found the items he was searching for, he presented them to the teens. "These are Shigunaringu Tokei. I recently made them. Their purpose is to send signals to each person who owns one." He handed watches with different colors to each individual, each receiver gazing at the watch with wonder. "Just click this button here"-Urahara pointed to a silver button on the side-"and one of us is bound to come arriving soon. Now, if everyone doesn't mind, Kurosaki-san and I need to discuss private matters."

Each of his friends stood, reluctant to leave. When the doors gently closed, Urahara spun his attention onto Ichigo. "I think this is a point in time where I must be blunt with you, Kurosaki-san, and though it pains me to say this…" Ichigo stared at him, eyebrows knitted together. "Your reiatsu has decreased tremendously. It is the beginning of your spiritual energy loss. These spastic screaming sessions happen randomly. But, for these matters, I have a tonic that will lessen the pain if you want it."

_He couldn't protect…_

Ichigo stood to his feet. "It's okay, Urahara-san… just… tell me where he's at." Urahara blinked, but after his initial pause, he slapped his fan closed.

"They're after Grimm-kun, right?" The Substitute Shinigami clenched his fists. "I know you want to protect him, but when you're at school, you can't." Urahara raised himself onto the pads of his feet with a grunt. "That's why I think it'd be better if he enrolled at your school. This way, you'll be able to keep an eye on him. I'll enhance his Gigai's strength, so in any case that you aren't around, he'll able to defend himself."

"Urahara-san… please… tell me where he's at."

_His desires or loved ones…_

The former captain stared at him with a somber expression, and without further ado, he sent the child below his home and into the basement. Once Ichigo stepped foot onto the sandy landscape, a boulder flew over his head. "What the hell!" he exclaimed, hunting for the source with his eyes. When they landed upon a teal-haired individual kicking and slamming into rocks, he gritted his teeth. "Oi! What the hell are ya doing smashing rocks and acting like nothing happened to you!" He tugged the upturned collar of the ex-Espada.

"Shut up, Shinigami. I'm finally out of that stupid-ass Gigai, and I'm not just gonna sit around and smell the roses." Grimmjow, in return, pulled at the boy's wrapped bandages.

"Leggo of me!"

"What if I don't wanna?"

As the two brawled out on the sand, Urahara and Yoruichi watched on with dumbfounded expressions. Renji, as well as Rukia, climbed down the stairs, wondering what all the yelling was from even upstairs. When they saw the spectacle before them, Rukia massaged at her brow, while Renji dead-panned at the punching two. "Should we… break them up?"

"No need for that, Abarai-kun. These two need to learn to understand each other." Urahara waved his hand nonchalantly to decline the suggestion, but when each of them returned their gazes on the quarrelling two, the Substitute Shinigami was firmly pinned underneath a smirking Espada, said smirking Espada with lips smashed onto an incredulous, blushing Shinigami. When Ichigo regained his right mind, he kicked the arrancar off of him and wiped at his mouth vigorously.

"Ya damn bastard! I'll fucking kill you!" the reddened Ichigo threatened, while the Espada cackled with glee.

"That's if you can even keep up!" Before the orangette could even react, Grimmjow used his sonido, placing a chaste kiss on his heated cheek. As if electrified, Ichigo leaped back, and held a palm against his cheek, his blush intensifying. Grimmjow smiled at his reaction, using his sonido once more to plant a kiss on any open chance he got: shoulder, neck, palm, forehead, and the most risky, the lips.

"Y-you're enjoying this way too much!" Ichigo tried to cover each part of himself with his arms, but of course, the cunning arrancar always found a spot he hadn't quite covered. While the game continued between the two, Yoruichi, Urahara, Renji, and Rukia stared with disbelief.

"It seems they've already widened their understanding!" Urahara commented, as he fanned himself with a jolly smile.

**XLXLXL**

Ichigo angrily stomped to his next class, the scene from the other day still invading his mind. _Damn that Grimmjow! He's such an ass! _

The man had bestowed a billion kisses on his body, and he felt violated. Yoruichi kept bugging him about how the Espada enjoyed his reactions, while he himself, enjoyed the pecks. His cheeks stung even more just thinking about how that were-cat messed with his brain. He sat in his respective seat, Yoruichi's words echoing in his mind: _"How come you never pushed him away, Ichigo?" _He seethed, as well as blushed from the woman's question.

He placed his chin on a hand, his friends staying a considerable distance from their fuming comrade. "Why is Kurosaki-kun so angry, today?" Orihime asked innocently, while Ishida pushed on the bridge of his glasses, and Chad nodded his head in agreement. At the inquisition, Rukia and Renji arrived, shaking their heads with sighs.

"The Espada's going to arrive here momentarily," Renji informed, stuffing his hands in his uniform's pockets.

"What? The arrancar's coming to school today?" Ishida asked in slight surprise. Rukia nodded, her arms crossed upon her chest. The bell abruptly rang, any moment of conversation extinguished as each of the students sat in their assigned seats. Ichigo kept his gaze outside the window, his eyebrow ticking every now and then at his incoming predicament. After approximately fifteen minutes, the door slammed open and he felt a shiver patter down his spine as he stiffened.

"Oh, and who are you?" Ochei-sensei asked. Ichigo peeked through the corners of his eyes, and indeed, it was the nightmare he had dreaded the entire morning. Urahara had asked if the Espada could stay at his shop for the time being so his Gigai could be fixed, and in about three days, the arrancar would arrive at his school like a normal human being. _Normal was an overstatement, _Ichigo thought.

The teal-haired male smirked, the girls in his classroom swooning. "I'm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques... If any of ya try to take Ichigo before I do, I'll kill your asses…"


	8. Chapter 8: Hand it to the Arrancar

**Thank-Woos:**DevilishBea**/**xx-butterflyofthenight-xx**/**skyglazingMaro**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Asuki Mona Zetsumei**/**thesleepless**/**Aka-chan57**/**Grimm-SemeXIchi-Uke

* * *

><p>Ichigo needs a hand.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 8: Hand it to the Arrancar]**

Ichigo gawked with wide-eyed revelation, the Espada casually stuffing his hands in his pants pockets. Rukia and Renji stared in much of the same manner, the entire classroom going silent and awry from the declaration. _Great, another weirdo,_Ochei thought, as she cleared her throat and pushed on the bridge of her glasses. "Well, you may have a seat anywhere, um, Jeagerjaques-kun, and we'll see how it goes from there." Grimmjow scoffed, and weaved his way through the throngs of desks.

The chair screeched from its sudden shift on the floor, all eyes and ears planted upon him. Grimmjow ticked an eyebrow with a growl, the attention poking at his nerves. The orangette just blinked, whipping his head towards the window with a scoff, and leaning his chin on a palm. He heard the girls cooing around him in admiration, as he rolled his eyes at their love-struck idiocy. _Who would fall for_him? Ichigo shook his head in pity, when he felt something drop upon his desk.

His eyes fell on a piece of crumbled paper. He straightened the paper, and once it was unrolled, he read the scraggly handwriting, narrowing his eyes to make out the tiny letters.

_What up, Strawberry?_

Ichigo felt fire set within him, as he glared at the arrancar smirking back. Without another thought, he snatched a pencil, and wrote a quick reply, flinging it back onto the Espada's desk. When the teal-haired male read it, he raised a finely groomed eyebrow, _tch_ing with a wave of his head from side to side. He flicked the paper to the Shinigami, as it flew in the air, catching it with his fingertips before anyone could see it.

_Shut up, and stop calling me that. What the hell was up with your introduction! And how come you can write?_

He scanned underneath his handwriting, and there were the ex-Espada's words, scrawled in tiny letters, and just too messy to boot.

_That weird shopkeeper told me that you got into a lot of fights. He said if I didn't want anyone else to get to you first, I had to say something, so I did. He also modified this monkey suit so I could blend in a bit. Now, for my questions. What the hell am I supposed to be doing here?_

Ichigo hissed at reading the note, tempted to rip it to shreds. _Leave it to hats-and-clogs to ruin my reputation._He vigorously responded with a "_Just sit there, and shut up."_ He heard the paper crumple in the man's hands, the tapping of a pencil all he could hear. A balled paper settled on his desk, as he unraveled it.

_Do I ask her questions or whatever? I can see them brats flinging their hands up._

Ichigo swallowed.

_No, don't ask anything! _

When Grimmjow received it, he scratched at his hair in frustration.

_Fine, then I'll ask you. What the fuck is sex?_

The Substitute Shinigami gawked, his head heating up and his mouth smacking about.

_Why the hell are you asking!_

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, chucking the piece of paper without much remorse or thought. When it fell to the floor, Ichigo rushed to grab it.

_Hats-and-clogs was going on about how I could learn to handle you and shit. Said that it would tone you down._

Ichigo seethed at what Urahara was implying, tearing the sheet into miniscule pieces. The arrancar regarded him with a death-stare, as he returned it with flamed vigor. "Che." Grimmjow eased his chair back, standing to his feet, as he shouted an "Oi!" to the instructor.

Ochei-sensei spun around at the calling, and spotted the new student standing. "Yes, Jeagerjaques-kun?" Ichigo flailed in his desk, immediately forming signs with his arms for Grimmjow to see. He created different shapes with his arms and fingers, attempting to reason with the Espada, but Grimmjow ignored him, keeping his focus up ahead.

"What the hell is sex?"

Shocked stares and gasps swept throughout the classroom, while the main inquisitor stayed nonchalant and laidback about the question. After regaining some of his wits, Ichigo slapped himself on his forehead, abruptly standing and clutching at the man's collar. "What the hell! I told you not to ask about it, and there you go disobeying me again!"

Grimmjow flung the hands away from his person, leaning in to threaten the teenager. "I don't follow orders, in case you haven't realized, Strawberry."

"Well, I'm in charge of you, so you have to, whether you like it or not!" The Shinigami wrapped his fingers around his shirt once more, the arrancar returning the favor.

"I wanna see you try!" The two snarled at each other, their eye contact never wavering. Two chalks flew at them with lightning speed, thumping their temples.

"All right, you two. If you want to fight, please take it outside." Ochei-sensei pointed towards the door, the two of them growling at each other for good measure, and striding out with a slam of the Substitute Shinigami's hand.

"Reminds me of the old days." Renji shook his head in remembrance of the scene when Ichigo and he had fought in the classroom, the teacher instructing them in the same manner.

**XLXLXL**

"Great one, you dumbass. I told you not to say anything, and now look where we are," Ichigo spoke through gritted teeth, crossing his arms.

"Keh, it was boring in there anyway." Grimmjow twirled a pinkie in his ear, the subject already boring him to death. "If you had just told me what sex was, then we wouldn't be out here." Having enough of the same question, Ichigo thrashed his head towards the arrancar with an irritated glance in his eye.

"Fine! If you wanna know so badly, I'll tell you!" His shouts were heard through the paper walls of the classroom, but the neon-haired teenager was so blinded by his rage, he didn't spare a thought about biting his tongue to halt himself. "Sex is when two people come together and pleasure themselves! There, you happy?" Grimmjow blinked at the elucidation, raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"So, you're telling me that two beings gain pleasure from this… sex?"

"_Yes!_ That's what I just said!" Ichigo relayed, tapping his forefinger on his arm in impatience.

"So, basically, it's fighting," Grimmjow observed, the Shinigami bopping himself on his forehead with his fist.

"What the hell! People don't gain pleasure from fighting! They get it when they t-touch themselves, and all of that, geez…" The ex-Espada stared with indifference, the information still quite unclear to him.

"This sex... Where do people touch themselves… to get this pleasure you're talkin' about?" The teal-haired man barricaded the smaller male with his palms, his arms besides the boy's head. Ichigo flushed, steering his eyes elsewhere.

"T-that's…" he trailed off, gulping and trying to rid himself of the images running through his mind miles per second.

He felt a tug on his wrist as Grimmjow began to pull on him. "O-oi! Where the hell are we going?" Grimmjow provided him with a conniving smirk, making Ichigo's heart thud behind his ribcage incredibly fast. The boy's bathroom door was kicked violently, the Espada dragging a reluctant Shinigami into the confines of the stalls.

"H-hey! What the hell are ya doing?" Grimmjow pulled him onto his lap, pulling his zipper south with ease. "Bastard! Leggo of me! I said leggo!" Ichigo fought against the man's grasp, but he was locked firmly in place, his captor snaking a hand underneath the opening of his boxers. "H-hey! Stop! What are you doing!"

He abruptly felt a warm breath against his ear, as he shivered from the close contact, and the sweet heat. "…Sex," Grimmjow answered. With just an utter of a word, Ichigo's dick was released into the air. He shuddered from the light touches the arrancar was bestowing on him. Grimmjow's touches were feather-like, only using the tips of his fingertips and circling his head tantalizingly. "How come you're so silent, Shinigami? Is it… the pleasure?" The orangette bit at his bottom lip, disallowing anything from being released.

"S-shut up! Stop it!" He involuntarily yelped, the palm constricting around him as if a boa constrictor. He hissed at the pain, glaring at the male behind him. "Bastard…" he half whispered and seethed.

"If you don't stop wriggling around, this hand will give you pain instead of pleasure, Shinigami." The orangette heeded the warning, albeit reluctantly, as the ex-Espada loosened his grip, and commenced on stroking him languidly. The antelope-stranded male's legs stiffened at the contact, electricity flowing through every nerve ending of his being. _He felt… felt…_

The pace was immensely slow for him, but he wasn't going to ask for speed. He could just imagine how the arrancar would tease him about succumbing so easily to his five fingers. _Yeah… It was only five, freaking fingers!_When he thought he convinced himself enough, he peered downwards at the hollow's up-and-down motions, his pre-cum collecting at the tip. Grimmjow seemingly caught this as well, smearing the liquids along his shaft. Ichigo freed a shaky breath, the widening of his legs unbeknownst to him.

Ichigo's chest bounced with his deep breathing, his muscles tightening at his stomach, and his neck stiff and solid. "Does it feel good, Ichigo?" As much as he wanted to deny the feeling coiling in his gut, he could only bite on his lip, nearly drawing blood. A grunt of some sort echoed throughout the bathroom, blood rushing into his cheeks.

Having enough of the same, sluggish tempo, Ichigo situated his palm above Grimmjow's on his throbbing organ, guiding the hand's momentum. The orangette leaned the back of his head on the arrancar's shoulder, twisting his head to the side as he panted against Grimmjow's neck. Seeing as how the boy was coaxing his hand to move faster, he obliged him, only so he could hear the teenager's sounds escape.

Ichigo moaned, his eyes tautly shut, hand going limp against Grimmjow's. The ex-Espada glanced beneath him, the dick in his hand hardened and red, as he trailed the boy's gasping body with his irises, leading onto his widened lips. His spiky, orange strands deterred him from seeing the look in Ichigo's eyes, and he was curious to know what they were expressing.

"…Look at me," Grimmjow demanded, the Shinigami merely swallowing at the command. "Do it!" He constricted around the teenager once again, as he gasped from the sudden tightness. Ichigo slowly drove his eyes onto cerulean irises, a molten brown, glazed with intoxicating lust. At the gaze in the Shinigami's eyes, his pace quickened alarmingly, Ichigo's toes curling inside his shoes. Almost instantly, the boy convulsed, the bridge of his nose crinkling, eyes closing, and lips widening with a silent scream as he released violently into Grimmjow's hand.

Ichigo inhaled aggressively through his mouth, his whole body racking with shakes and tremors from his intense orgasm. A fingertip to his chin rotated his face, as a tongue licked up a remnant of his seed upon his cheek. His head felt hotter.

The Espada glanced at his lips, licking the semen that landed on them, as he entered the Substitute Shinigami's mouth without preamble. Ichigo unknowingly responded, locking tongues with the arrancar.

Their lips never broke apart, only widening a centimeter to inhale a sliver of a breath. Ichigo felt drugged, and slightly aroused once again, the taste of the Espada exotic and newer than anything he had ever encountered. This feeling had never resided within him before… _This temptation…_

Abruptly, the lunch bell erupted throughout the school, the ringing echoing against the walls of the bathroom, halfway startling the Shinigami. Their lips disconnected, a string of saliva breaking off and flopping against his chin. When he glimpsed into the arrancar's eyes, his senses finally implanted itself in his brain, as he jumped to his feet, tucking his dick into his boxers. He tugged on the pants that had pooled around his ankles, clumsily unlocking the stall and sprinting from out of the empty bathroom.

_Why didn't he think it through? How could he just allow the arrancar to fondle him like that,_he thought briskly, as he tucked the shirt beneath his pants. He rounded a corner sharply, strapping his belt on as he did, when he collided with someone on his way. He fell onto the floor rather harshly, as well as the person he had smacked into. "Ichigo, there you are!" A familiar female voice piped up, as he rubbed at his forehead to numb the pain. He noticed that Renji was doing the same. "We've been looking everywhere for you," Rukia explained.

He gradually stood to his feet, lending a hand out to the red-head. "Ah, sorry, Renji. I didn't see you," the orangette apologized.

"Damn it, Ichigo. I think you broke something." Renji touched his forehead and winced, withdrawing his hand. "You better pay for this!"

"What the hell? I already apologized." Ichigo crossed his arms in defiance, as the lieutenant gripped his shirt's collar.

"Even so! You should've been watching where you were going, idiot!"

"Who the heck are you calling idiot, idiot! I already said I was sorry. What else am I supposed to do?" Rukia cocked an eyebrow at their conversation, her impatience growing as she ripped the two from each other's throats.

"Knock it off! Inoue and the others are already on the roof! We shouldn't keep them waiting!" The orangette scratched at his hair in understanding, while the other male scoffed and traipsed towards the stairs. Rukia sighed, turning her attention onto her best friend as she eyed him with suspicion. "Now, where have you been?"

"U-uh, I was just around," he had provided. Rukia crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at his failed attempt of a fib.

"Mm-hm and can I assume that you were _around_with the arrancar?" At this, the Substitute Shinigami's cheeks intensified with color, as he tried to cover it with his hand. She only exhaled a sigh, untwining her arms. "Just be careful with what you're up to, Ichigo." The tiny Shinigami ambled away, and once she was out of his sight, he exhaled quite noisily, letting his arms hang beside him. _She uncovered him before he could even uncover what happened himself…_

After much thinking and hard contemplation, he forced himself to climb the stairs, opening the roof's door. The Sun's light flooded the darkness of where he stood, the obnoxious voice of Keigo reaching his ears. "…and then that guy has the nerve to come up and ask me about my virginity! That was just rude!" Keigo huffed, seated beside Mizuiro and Chad.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun! Hello!" Orihime waved her hand wildly, as he uttered a "Hey," in reply.

"Yo, Ichigo! There you are! I thought you disappeared or something. Ain't that a silly thought?" Keigo surrounded his shoulders with his arm, as he twirled them both in his grasp. In annoyance, the orangette punched him with the back of his fist, freezing him and causing him to fall on his back. At the released hold on his shoulder, he rotated it to ease the stress.

"Where were you, Ichigo?" Tatsuki questioned as she bit into her sandwich. Rukia peered at him beneath her lone bang, as he swallowed and crossed his arms.

"It wasn't anything important." With that statement, he lowered himself beside Ishida and crossed his legs.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun! You don't have any lunch!" Inoue observed, as she dug through her lunch box for her extra sandwich. He stared at the compiled foods in her hands with disdain: whole-wheat bread with ham, melted cheese, honey, marmalade, and mayonnaise.

"Ah, ha, it-it's all right, Inoue. I think I'm good," he declined politely, as she nodded her head in understanding, tucking the sandwich in a napkin.

"Hey, Ichigo. How come that new student acted so familiar with you?" Tatsuki asked, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief. "You seem to know him, too."

"Um-"

"Jeagerjaques-kun is from Germany. He came here to work for his uncle, but he's currently residing in Kurosaki's house. Isn't that right… Kurosaki?" Ishida pushed on his glasses, as he eyed his friend with a keen stare.

"Ah, yeah! Ishida's got that right!" Ichigo sighed inwardly, thanking the blue-haired with a nod that went unnoticed. _It was better if they didn't tell the others about the current situation…_

"But, where's Grimmjow-kun now?" Inoue poked at her bottom lip in musing, and at that same second, the roof's door slammed open. Teal hair swayed in the wind, as he zeroed in on the currently sweating Shinigami.

"Oi! What the hell ya just leave me like that for! After what we jus-" Grimmjow began, but his mouth was swiftly concealed by a tanned hand.

"A-ha! I just remembered that we needed to discuss tonight's homework! Be back in a second!" He quickly dragged them far away, his group of friends staring on in wonder.

"…Don't you think Ichigo and that Jagger guy act, I don't know… chummy together?" Keigo wondered, as he scratched his head in musing. Mizuiro just shrugged his shoulders in answer.

"They might be together, considering they kissed about one or two weeks ago," the short male provided, as Keigo put both of his palms on his cheeks and gasped melodramatically.

"Nooo! Our friend Ichigo is gay!" he wailed, as a foot crashed onto his back, gravity pulling at his figure.

"Shut up, and get out of Ichigo's business, Keigo!" Tatsuki continuously stomped on the boy, as he cried for help, but none came.

**XLXLXL**

At the second the orangette released the ex-Espada from his arms, he eased away, trying to gain as much space as he could possibly get. He felt bullets of his perspiration rolling down his neck and temples as Grimmjow stared at him with apathy, his brows drawn together and downturned. Silence alternated between the other, the first one to break the quietness the blunet as he strode over and tugged Ichigo towards himself. "Was what we did illegal or something?"

"No-"

"Was it something reserved only for _humans?_" the arrancar spoke the word as if venom, as his glare intensified and his clasp on the teenager's shirt tightened.

"I-it's not-"

"Or was it because it was… embarrassing?" At the statement, Ichigo immediately felt the rush of blood to his cheeks, his heart in trepidation as he yanked at the fingers, but to no avail. "…Having you writhe because of my hands on ya; humiliating, huh?" Grimmjow pushed the boy from him, the Strawberry stumbling a few times before standing upright.

"Sh-shut the hell up!"

"Che, so it's true." Grimmjow smirked, as he approached him, and in response, his prey retreated with every step he made. Without much delay, Ichigo's back was met with the welded wire fence, Grimmjow's arms at his left and right. "I'm sure you don't want your little friends to know what we did, because it's _humiliating,_ right?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes dangerously at the arrancar, daring him to say one more thing. "Don't try to bribe me with anything, Grimmjow. It's not gonna work."

"But what if I tell your innocent friends about what we did? Knowing that their strong hero, Kurosaki Ichigo, was having sex with the enemy?" Ichigo pushed the man by his chest away, crossing his arms.

"Idiot, that wasn't sex. Th-that was just foreplay."

"Sex, foreplay; it doesn't matter to me. We still did something, and that little bit of information can send your friends in a frenzy." Ichigo gritted his teeth, his fingers retracting into his palms.

"They wouldn't believe you."

"Hoh, you wanna try me?" The orangette exhaled a wobbly breath, the close proximity of their faces reminding him of the heated kiss they shared in the bathroom as well as the activity before it… He growled inwardly, his balled hands hesitantly unfolding in surrender.

"What do you want?" he asked, quite defeated and irritated. Grimmjow smirked at Ichigo as he eased a few steps backwards to give him his distance.

"…I want you to return Pantera."

Time stilled for a moment, and Ichigo was frozen with it. "Keh, you're crazy, Grimmjow. I can't give you your zanpaktou until I've deemed you trustworthy. I don't recall _bribing_ a trustworthy thing."

"Che… What the hell do I have to do to prove myself? As long as I'm concerned, I don't have to do anything."

"Well, then you're not going to get your sword. I don't plan on giving it back to you anytime soon." Grimmjow growled at his words, Ichigo meeting his eyes with determination set within their depths. Abruptly, Grimmjow's attention flew elsewhere, his eyes searching left and right. "Hey, what's going on?"

"…Hollow." Ichigo stiffened, feeling his heart stop beating. _How? How could he have not sensed the hollow?_He was brought out of his reverie when the arrancar began to climb over the fence.

"Grimmjow, what the hell! Get down from there!" But of course, the Espada disregarded him and jumped off from the building, landing squarely on his feet. Ichigo stared wide-eyed at the man's collision with the ground, quite awestruck and slightly terrified. "Oi! That's dangerous!" Grimmjow didn't spare him a glance as he charged off in a different direction of the school. Ichigo readily used his Substitute Shinigami badge, his soul tumbling out from his body, shunpoing to the ground without another second to waste.

"What a dumbass!" he murmured under his breath, as he quickened his pace. When he reached the scene, he caught a glimpse of unruly, teal locks, swishing in the wind as he pounded a fist into the hollow's abdomen. The hollow screeched from the pain inflicted upon it as it wriggled about sporadically. Ichigo was even more amazed as he picked the hollow from its perch on the ground, and spun it in a vision of a whirlwind, flipping it to smack onto the pavement with a hard crunch.

The ground rattled underneath Ichigo's feet, as the hollow belted out another throng of screams in its dying opera. Grimmjow's battle-cry rang throughout the streets, the hollow's belching echoing with his own as the finishing blow struck the worm-like monster in its throat. The spiritual entity began to dissolve against the sunlight, the breeze picking at the man's waves of hair. "Oi, brat! Come out here! That stupid-ass hollow's gone, and nothing will eat ya!" Ichigo was again astonished when a boy, less than the age of ten, poked his head from behind a tree, and approached the arrancar warily. "Ichigo! Come out here and perform Konso on this kid. I'm getting tired of looking at him."

The teary-eyed child shed a few tears as the Shinigami ambled close, the gauze around his blade unweaving. "Sir, please don't make me go. I haven't found my papa yet," the boy sniffled in his hand, Ichigo's heart softening at his desperation. He ruffled the boy's brown hair, lowering himself to eye-to-eye level.

"Hey, I assure you that you'll find your papa. You'll have more of a chance finding him in Soul Society than here. Trust me." The child gave him a pair of doe eyes, as he grinned and pressed the back of his zanpaktou on the kid's forehead. The boy began to glow, the light surrounding his body as he dissolved in much of the same manner as the hollow, but more subtle. A Hell Butterfly formed from the child's remaining tear as it flew away elegantly.

Silence engulfed the two, the Sun beating down on their persons. "Che," Grimmjow scoffed, as he rotated towards the school, and commenced on his return.

"…I'll give it to you." Grimmjow stopped walking, his ears perking up. "Your zanpaktou." Grimmjow eyed him through the corners of his eyes, that expression of indifference plastered on his face.

"Don't give me my zanpaktou out of pity." Grimmjow began to traipse forward once more, when the Shinigami's voice stopped him yet again.

"I only have one condition…" The arrancar awaited his next words patiently, wondering what the he could want from him. "You'll only use it for training... for now at least." Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, as he bargained with the Espada. "So what do ya say? It's my only offer. Take it or leave it."

"…Keh, whatever." Ichigo smiled at that, as he situated his sword on his back, and followed behind the arrancar.

He felt the static in the air, and the heavy weight of something on his shoulders and evidently in the center of his chest.

Ichigo looked towards the buildings, trying to spot the familiar reiatsu, his eyes widening at the speck of white and orange in his vision.

They vanished instantly, appearing before them in a quick flash of their Shunpo. Grimmjow gazed at them with his usual expression, while Ichigo blinked at them in surprise and happiness at their sudden arrival. "It's been a while, Kurosaki Ichigo…" the tiny male spoke in his still-developing voice as he crossed his arms.

"T-Toshiro, Matsumoto!" Ichigo exclaimed, as they stood in stoic silence, their eyes glinting with the hint of danger and heavy news.


	9. Chapter 9: The Beginning of the End

**Thank-Woos: **XxCatorixX**/**Confusion No Hime**/**Asuki Mona Zetsumei**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Teruul**/**Grimm-SemeXIchi-Uke**/**holyseren**/**Aka-chan57**/**skyglazingMaro**/**DevilishBea**/**ririnaX**/**Sleepless-Souls**/**JunichiBlue

* * *

><p>And the trumpets will sound.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 9: The Beginning of the End]**

The blade of the ax scraped against the street, creating a high squeal. Sparks flew as the being continued to drag it along behind him with nary a glance. His olive irises focused on the sprinting male, his breaths uneven and fast-paced. A side-smirk developed on his lips, his stride unhurried whatsoever. Every time he thought the man had ventured too far, he'd Shunpo behind him once again, keeping him in his line of vision. _He loved the panic in their eyes._

The male had rounded a corner with fear etched on every patch of skin on his figure, slamming himself against a brick wall. His chest heaved as he placed a palm above his Chain of Fate, praying to whatever deity was out there that he could be saved. He cautiously peeked behind the wall, making sure to avoid showing any part of his body. When he saw no sign of a follower, he sighed, as he whirled back against the brick wall. When he opened his eyes, they widened considerably, being met with an entity with wings unfurled, teeth glinting, and an ax shining from the moonlight.

A bloodcurdling scream ripped out from the innocent soul, his plea for help echoing down the streets, only to never be heard, as the blade rushed down.

**XLXLXL**

After school had let out, the orangette had dragged an unwilling arrancar to Urahara's shop, along with his group of friends who followed close behind.

"_Toshiro, what are you guys doing here?" The white-haired prodigy crossed his arms with a tick of an irritated eyebrow._

"_That's Hitsugaya-taichou, to you!" he corrected, only to be met with a Substitute Shinigami wearing eyes of stubbornness. He exhaled noisily, as he unfolded his arms and laid them by his side. "We will have to discuss this at a different time. I believe you have school."_

"_But-" Ichigo began to protest, only to be shushed by a raise of his palm._

"_Not another word, Kurosaki," Toshiro interrupted. "You will do as I instruct. Meet us at the Urahara Shoten as soon as your bell lets out." Before Ichigo had the time to deny the option, the two Shinigami shunpoed away._

The group had immediately found Urahara standing in front of the door with his usual, lazy smile as he let them in without preamble. Toshiro and Matsumoto were already seated around a low table, sipping tea. His comrades quickly seated themselves accordingly, ominous expressions on their unmarred faces as they awaited the news about to befall them. "So… what's going on?" Ichigo interrogated, the tension in the room nearly suffocating him.

Toshiro lifted his head, true blue eyes displaying lack of emotion, but guarding a heavy secret. "…The death tolls are rising, but the souls are decreasing. I'm sure all of you have heard about this." Silence answered him as he continued with his elucidation. "We don't know what is causing this, and Soul Society is growing even more panicked. We were sent here to find some information on the missing souls, and to catch the culprits behind it. But more importantly"-he eyed the cluster before him warily-"I know for a fact that at least one of you knows what is occurring."

Each one of the individuals stiffened visibly, as the captain's eyes hardened. _He definitely detected their sudden astonishment._ "Hitsugaya-taichou, would you mind consulting Shihoin Yoruichi on this? She, out of everyone here, knows most about the situation," Urahara stated, as he fanned himself nonchalantly. "Well, I say that's it for tonight." The shopkeeper stood to his feet, dusting his thighs as he did. "I'm afraid there is nothing left to discuss, for our Shunpo Queen isn't here."

Toshiro sighed, and stood to his haunches, his lieutenant copying his movement. "I guess you're right. Matsumoto, are you staying at Inoue-san's again?" He cocked an eyebrow at the strawberry blonde who piped up at the sentence, her breasts bouncing.

"Oh, Orihime! Would you mind us staying over?" the busty female eagerly questioned, as the teenage girl scratched the back of her head with a nervous smile.

"U-Uh, sure, Matsumoto-san."

"Great!" Matsumoto drawled, as she clapped her hands vigorously. Hitsugaya sighed for the umpteenth time, as he followed them.

"Well, off you go." Urahara made a shooing motion with his hand, as Chad and Ishida stood to leave, nodding in understanding. Renji and Rukia stayed where they were, arms intersected and legs crossed beneath them, given that they were spending their nights at the Urahara Shoten for their mission. The blonde male shifted his gaze over to the two males, determination molded in their eyes. "Do you need something, Kurosaki-san?"

Ichigo seemed to hesitate for a moment, but after a few seconds, he returned his eyes to Urahara's. "…Grimmjow wants Pantera back." Urahara's eyebrows shot through the roof at the boy's request, his fan snapping closed.

"And how is this relevant to me?"

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, the blue-haired hollow doing so as well. "What the hell do you mean 'how is this relevant to me?'" Ichigo asked with annoyance in his tone.

"You've only spent a few weeks with Grimm-kun. Isn't this a bit too hasty?" The teenager backed off a moment, considering the words carefully. _He hadn't thought everything out thoroughly… _Grimmjow glared at the nickname, and for the fact that he was still being titled a traitor. _He had been dragged from Hueco Mundo, only to have his fate already sealed for him without his consent. Wasn't that enough?_

"…No… I don't think I'm being too hasty." Ichigo's eyes were obscured by his tangerine bangs, his fists taut, and his veins bulging from the wrists.

"Ichigo, don't do this if he's using something agains-" Rukia began, standing to her feet in an immediate snap.

"No, it's not that. I think he's capable of swinging a sword to at least train. He has the Tamishi Sutabiraiza on him, so it's not as if he'd be able to use any of his reiatsu or resurrección against me," Ichigo pointed out abruptly, his fingers unfurling and relaxing. The young Kuchiki blinked at him, seeing the look of desperation and determination in his eyes. She sighed, crossing her arms.

Urahara looked from the elfin Kuchiki to the orangette, exhaling a short sigh. "Well, if you say so, Kurosaki-san." The blonde male shrugged his shoulders, lowering to his knees and lifting the low table from the floor. He raised a tatami mat, a deep hole beneath, filled with many knick-knacks and boxes shaped as if treasure chests. "Ah! Here it is!" he beamed, as he lifted a sword with a navy blue hilt, a smile in danger of swallowing his face.

Ichigo and Grimmjow stared in disbelief, frustration forming on their brows. "You mean you kept the zanpaktou underneath the table!" the two shouted in unison, the shopkeeper merely nodding his head.

"Yup! It was under your nose all this time!" Urahara informed, pointing his index finger towards the ceiling as if in eureka. He yelped when a foot smacked him on the face. Grimmjow glared at Urahara, while the other Shinigami watched on with apathy, sympathy far from their cognizance. Urahara held his bleeding nose, trying not to agitate it, as he seated himself firmly on the floor. "I guess I deserved that," he laughed.

The arrancar scoffed, snatching Pantera from the man's fingertips. "Oi, hats-and-clogs. Where's the door to enter the training ground? Berry-head and I are going to spar." Grimmjow cocked a thumb at the frowning so-called _berry-head_, a twitching eyebrow on his tan forehead. Urahara slowly stood to his feet, dusting off his pants as he tipped his striped hat.

"This way, gentlemen." The former captain of squad 12 eyed the two with his silver irises, shaded by his favorite accessory. The blonde led them outside of the lounge room, hauling a disguised trapdoor from the wooden floorboards. An elongated ladder was attached near the opening, the three men peering from above at the expanse of ground below. "Enjoy, and don't make a lot of mess, boys!" Urahara wagged his finger. Grimmjow smirked, and without another moment gone, he leaped into the opening, landing squarely on his feet without a scratch.

Ichigo gazed with complete and utter shock, while the male next to him stared on with nonchalance. "Hey, Shinigami. Get out of that stupid Gigai, and fight me!" Grimmjow yelled from underneath, a teasing glint in his cerulean eyes. A vein throbbed beneath the teenager's eye, as he waved a fist in anger.

"It's not a Gigai, asswipe!"

"Hmph, whatever." The arrancar shrugged his shoulders, a maniacal grin on his lips as he charged off elsewhere in the training grounds. Ichigo rolled his eyes, digging in his pockets for his Substitute Shinigami badge. While uttering unintelligent words, he stabbed the tiny pentagon to his breast, his soul tumbling out from his physical form. He grabbed his gauzed hilt, jumping in the opened doorway to fall beside a stretching ladder.

When his feet made contact with the ground, he searched with his eyes for any speck of blue, and saw the male not too far off. Boulders flew in every which direction, one Ichigo successfully dodged. The male was sprinting off in an inhuman speed, not that of a soul in a Gigai, and not one that seemed like a Shunpo. "Hey, what the hell are you doing!" Ichigo shouted with a hand cupping his mouth, his words echoing around the entire space. Grimmjow spun around to face the younger male, a smirk implanted on his face.

"Come at me, Shinigami! Give me all you've got!" The hollow began to pull the hilt of his zanpaktou from his sheath, the blade glinting. Ichigo stared, his expression never faltering, unleashing his sword from underneath all of the wrappings as he placed it in front of him.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." The Shinigami stood poised and crouched, the balls of his feet digging into the sand, as he readied himself for his fast-paced gallop. "Haaah!" With a powerful battle-cry, he shot off from his spot, Zangetsu raised and blade down. Ichigo grunted from the impact of his sword with Pantera, sparks flying from the collision.

"Heh! Is that all you got, or are you just wimping out on me?" Grimmjow teased with amusement in his eyes as he held the sword tautly in both of his hands.

"Shut… the hell up!" He pushed on Zangetsu's hilt as strongly as he could, the Espada's grip on the sword lessening a tad. Finding that the stance he held was futile, he leaped backwards, a few feet away from the teal-haired character. His jaw was set tightly, his fingers coiling around the hilt even tighter. _All he had to do was fight with his sword, like he usually did… _Perspiration slid down his temple, the force he was exerting overwhelming.

_I didn't even use Getsuga Tenshou, yet, _he thought with panic, as he gazed at the smiling male, squatted and ready to fight with complete blood and sweat. "Aaaaaah!" he shouted, bounding into the air, swooping down towards the arrancar with deadly precision and speed. _I'll get him! _As he neared his descent towards the ground, his blade being brought down with him, the arm clasped around his zanpaktou was grasped around the wrist, his arm swept to the side.

A miniscule wind brushed past their faces, his wide-spread, honey eyes meeting with narrowed, azure depths. A grin tugged at the corners of Grimmjow's mouth, as he pulled his arm back, and pounded into a sturdy stomach. Ichigo flew with lightning speed from the arrancar's figure, blood spewing from his lips. He collided heavily onto the sandy floor, his blood dripping down his chin, and coughs racking his entire body. _Damn it! I had more stamina than this!_

As he commenced on standing, he was instantaneously thrown to the ground, a weighty body barricading access for getting up. A palm was enclosed around his throat, the hollow's face mere inches from his. He felt the slight sweep of a hand directed downwards, knowing absolutely what the arrancar was aiming to do. "N-no! Get away!" he cried, squirming underneath the smiling Grimmjow. The hollow ran his fingers over his abdomen, causing Ichigo to hiss from the feathery touches on his forming bruise.

He breathed thinly, inhalation becoming a problem due to the punch inflicted on his abs. He felt plump lips peck him on the side of his neck, making him stiffen immediately. "W-what the hell are you doing! I-I thought that you were done with this! You already have Pantera back!" he informed, a harsh tug on his hakama alerting him that the arrancar was definitely going to do something inappropriate to his body. Grimmjow ripped the upper portion of his Shinigami robes, exposing his chest and abdomen.

He lowered his upper body towards the boy's neck, suckling on a random spot, the teenager brushing his cheek against unruly hair at the ticklish sensation. "I never promised anything about this." His lips murmured against smooth skin, biting on a collarbone, causing a yelp to erupt from the orangette. "I wanted Pantera back. I got it back. I never once said"-Grimmjow nipped on a hardening nub, Ichigo's shaky breath wonderful to his ears-"that I would stop _humiliating_ you."

With one abrupt pull, the Shinigami's hakama was slipped downwards, Grimmjow's lips nearing his dick in a swift momentum. He licked a trail across his waist, Ichigo's hips bucking involuntarily with a hitch of his breath. The arrancar kissed at his tangerine hairs, a shaky breath and moan interlocked into one escaping him. "W-why-" A harsh tug on his cock interrupted his sentence, his eyes shutting from the suddenness. Languid strokes hazed his mind like smoke, as he tried to sift through his thoughts. "W-why are you doing this, and… how do you even know what you're doing to me?"

A light kiss was placed upon his tip, as he shuddered from the slight warmth. "Hmph." Grimmjow smirked, shifting his fingers up and down. "Maybe I like to see you squirm. Maybe I like to see that red tint engulf your pathetic face." He watched the boy's expression turn from keeping his lips tightly shut, to biting his lip hard enough to bleed, to open-mouthed panting. "Or maybe I just like knowing it's because of me that I'm making you this way… Ichigo."

Ichigo attempted to stifle his gasps and moans of pleasure, but due to Grimmjow's searing mouth on his arousal, it was near impossible. The ex-Espada slowly made his progress downwards, Ichigo's palms planted firmly over his lips. Grimmjow observed him with narrowed eyes, bobbing his head ever so sluggishly. He scraped an incisor over the boy's manhood, Ichigo's hips popping upwards to meet with his lips.

Ichigo cursed himself inwardly for giving a response. "Syazel used to watch stuff like this in his quarters, and I watched it, like I said before. I'm a pretty fast learner, Shinigami." With the finishing answer, he dove back in on the Substitute's erection, swallowing him entirely without hesitation.

"Hah!" Ichigo cried out, his hands shooting forth and tangling in messy strands of teal hair. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation, keeping his lips jarred and sealed. The taller male noticed this, quickening his pace to immeasurable speeds. Ichigo craned his back, Grimmjow's descent even more precise. The slick tightness around his shaft felt like smooth silk, and everything on his body felt like a live-wire, a burning flame in every patch of skin.

He leaned his head on the sand, legs widening and allowing complete access to his throbbing member. _It feels so good… Kami…_ Words spilled from his glistening lips like pouring water, tipping from a glass cup without relent. Grimmjow watched him from his perch on the ground with heady eyes, the Shinigami's body stiffening like a rod. The arrancar quickly withdrew from him, grinning at the mess Ichigo was in. He crawled upwards to stare into syrupy, half-lidded eyes.

He replaced his mouth with his palm. Grimmjow turned the teenager's face back towards his deep pools with his pointer finger, relishing in the boy's last ounce of control. "Come on… Ichigo." He bit onto his earlobe, whispering heatedly into his ear. "Let me see you lose your sanity…" He planted a peck behind Ichigo's ear, shivers pattering down the Visored's spine.

He tracked kisses along the boy's neck, reaching the spot he had suckled on before. Ichigo grunted. Grimmjow's languorous fondling hastened, a harsh bite on his neck sending signals to his brain. He wrapped his arms around the unruly hair, wanting to keep the wonderful sensation of the sunken teeth on his body. Knowing that his end was near, he rapidly hauled the ex-Espada upwards from his throat, connecting their lips in a firm impact.

Their tongues lashed at each other like whips, pushing the other's tongue in the other's mouth. He gasped. Ichigo's seed was ripped from him violently, his moan muffled and barely audible. Grimmjow detached himself from the apricot-stranded male's eager lips, save for their tongues licking languidly at the other. Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, peering into glazy, blue orbs. Their breaths mingled; lips less than a centimeter apart.

"Ichigo!" His ear perked at the familiar voice, and panic began to set in his system. He immediately pushed the burly male over him, covering his genitals with his hakama in one swift pull, and retrieving Zangetsu in his grasp from a few feet away. He felt his best friend's reiatsu nearing him, as he spun around to meet her eyes. Rukia glanced between the two men, both hair unruly, and both being drowned in their own sweat.

"W-what is it, Rukia?" His ebony-haired comrade switched her attention onto him, as he tried to contain the blush on his cheeks.

"They're here!" she burst out in a flurry, his eyes broadening. He lowered to her height, gripping her shoulders.

"Who is?" Rukia looked to the ground, her hair shielding her expression.

"…Tenshi no Namida." Ichigo felt his heart palpitate, as he shook her shoulders to see into her violet eyes.

"Where are the others?" he asked hurriedly.

"Renji and the others are already facing- ah, wait, Ichigo!"

Ichigo ran to the ladder, flying upwards to meet with the trapdoor. "Ugh, he's so reckless," she muttered to herself, as she stepped forward to race after him, only to be halted by a deep baritone.

"Oi." She turned around to meet with a grinning ex-Espada, his zanpaktou in hand. "Where's this so-called Tenshi no Namida at?"

**XLXLXL**

Ichigo leaped from out of the training grounds, landing on the Urahara Shoten floorboards. "Ah, Kurosaki-san, back so soon?" Urahara questioned, sipping some tea.

"Urahara-san, the Fallen Angels! They're here." The orangette itched to charge into the battle that was about to occur, but he knew he had to inform the older male before anything else. Urahara merely sipped his tea in response, and having nothing else to say, Ichigo rotated to face the cloudy night.

"Kurosaki-san." He halted in his step. "This is just an assumption, but, do you perhaps, _care_, for this arrancar?" Ichigo stiffened at the shopkeeper's supposition, his grasp on his zanpaktou tightening.

"Urahara-san," the orangette started. The blonde male glanced upwards from his reflection in his tea. "Keep him here. Don't let him out no matter what he says or does." Urahara only stared, not uttering one syllable, the boy vanishing from his sight with his Shunpo. He glanced up at the dark night, wagging his head from side to side, his hair whipping at his cheeks.

"Children these days… They're never honest," he murmured to himself with a chuckle, drinking the last drops of his green tea with a sigh.

**XLXLXL**

The captain of squad 10 rushed to the scene, alerted by the lieutenant of squad 6, Abarai Renji, with his subordinate in tow. He jumped and skipped over buildings and homes, his sole attention on the task at hand. He searched the skies for any sign of spiritual entity, but found none. His hand wound around Hyourinmaru, flicking his thumb to release it from its sheath.

"…Ah, don't you think you're going a little too far?" His teal eyes widened, as well as that of his lieutenant's, as they whipped around to face the inquisitor. Toshiro and Matsumoto crouched for the impending action, not trusting, nor underestimating the being before them. Black tendrils of hair weaved around his face, blown by the wind; his eyes that of an eerie, glowing green, a smug grin etched on his thin lips. Onyx wings unfurled behind him, the feathers floating around their figures. A charcoal ax was perched on his shoulder, the wink of the silver against the moonlight noticeable.

Hitsugaya unsheathed his sword, the blade pointed towards the enemy. "Matsumoto."

"Yes, captain?"

"…Go." The strawberry blonde stiffened from the one word, her grip on the sword slightly lessening.

"What?" she asked rather baffled.

"Go," her captain repeated. Worry seeped into her system, fear of her younger captain getting hurt flashing before her eyes.

"But-"

"Go, Matsumoto! That's an order." Matsumoto's fingers shook around her sword, her defense slowly withering away, as she nodded in understanding and shunpoed to a different location. Hitsugaya sighed inwardly, his focus aimed towards the darkened entity.

"That was rude of you, you know," the Fallen Angel spoke, traipsing across mid-air with elegance. Toshiro eyed him with hardened eyes, not falling for the bait whatsoever. "It's like you don't even trust your subordinate's abilities."

"She would've only gotten in the way. It's best if she fled elsewhere."

The Tenshi no Namida smirked. "Hmph, you sound as if you think you can kill me." He stuffed a hand in his gothic rave pants, adorned with chains and crimson stripes. "What's your name, _Soul Reaper?_" He leaned in tauntingly from his distance, sizing the boy's strength by his stature.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro, captain of squad 10 in the Gotei 13," he introduced. The Fallen Angel cocked an eyebrow, waiting for the male to ask him for an introduction, but none came.

"It seems you're not interested enough to know who I am," the ebony-stranded male inquired. "But, just so we're even, I'll tell you. My name's Teo Satsugai, and I'm a Fallen Angel."

**XLXLXL**

He had contacted Hitsugaya Toshiro about a winged being appearing in his peripheral, and he had dashed off in the direction without another thought. He knew he couldn't have imagined that. The being he saw was too… _divine_ to come from his imagination. It couldn't have been a trick of the eye, either. _The Fallen Angel had left a feather behind…_

"You Shinigami are so clueless." Renji immediately stopped, spinning around to meet the male voice. He spotted strands of navy blue hair fluttering in the wind, bright, golden, narrowed eyes in their midst. The winged male stood on a nearby hotel building, a hand placed on his leather-clad hip, and another palm flicking long, thick hair behind an ear.

"Who are you?" Renji instantly interrogated. The man stared at him with arrogance clear in his eyes, flapping his wings to land gently on the concrete.

"Kettei Suru. I will be the end of you."

**XLXLXL**

Matsumoto dashed through every crevice and corner of Karakura-Cho, scouting for any other trouble that may have or could occur. _Why would Hitsugaya-taichou send me away? I am more than capable of fighting… _She shook her head to clear her thoughts, not desiring to steer elsewhere on her mission. _It was probably for the best… _She was saddened to admit it, but she knew that if she had stayed, she would've only gotten in his way.

When she was about to bend another corner, her eyes caught sight of obsidian-shaded hair, and she shunpoed towards her within a second. "Kuchiki, what's going on?" She followed Rukia's gaze, her own eyes widening at the sight that met her.

A middle-aged woman was standing on the street, white lotus flowers seemingly shifting around her thin, curvy figure, in contrast to her charcoal-colored wings. Her light-purple hair whizzed across her face, her eyes completely inked in black in the irises, her pupils matching that to make her seem doll-like and lifeless. Her long black and white, gothic Lolita kimono swayed with the wind, showcasing her bare feet clad in zori shoes. "Hello. My name is Ao Yuki." She bowed. "And I am a Tenshi no Namida."

**XLXLXL**

Orihime scurried along as fast as she could. She had heard the call from Renji on Toshiro's phone, and she knew there was probably a nearby Fallen Angel somewhere. _She had to help anyone as best as she could… _She panted, racing to the extent her feet could take her, and although she knew she couldn't hold out any longer, she knew she had to keep trying. _Kurosaki-kun's probably on his way to defeat one of the Tenshi no Namida… I have to be strong, too…_

"My, my, what's the hurry?" She gasped, dark feathers drifting around her as if Sakura petals. Not longer than six feet away, a man with short, blonde hair was leaning against a brick wall, his wings spread and intimidating. He opened his eyes, shocking her yet again by the piercing, maroon irises directed towards her.

"S-Santen Kesshun!" An orangey surface formed in front of her, shape that of a triangle. She held both palms outward, watching the male cautiously with nervousness prickling down every part of her body. The winged entity merely grinned at her with sadism, amusement in his eyes.

"You think you can hurt me?" he questioned with incredulity, guffaws spewing from his lips. Suddenly, a white blast of light flitted by his face a mere few inches, nearly nicking him.

"She may not, but I can," a deep voice interjected. Orihime glanced behind her, and her eyes brightened.

"Sado-kun! Ishida-kun!" Chad stood with his fist pointing towards the Fallen Angel, smoke oozing around his Brazo Derecha de Gigante. Uryuu stood directly behind him, his Quincy bow and arrow cocked towards the opponent, his glasses glinting from the light. After regaining his stance, the Fallen Angel grinned at the three, his teeth shining from the beams of moonlight flooding down.

"Maybe this'll be a fun night after all."


	10. Chapter 10: The Battle of Zeros

**Thank-Yous: **Teruul**/**XxCatorixX**/**Recklessly Impulsive**/**skyglazingMaro**/**DevilishBea**/**Confusion No Hime**/**Aka-chan57**/**whatthehellwasithinkin**/**thesleepless**/**Mayuzu**/**Sleepless-Souls**/**thinkbleach**/**Tpixie

* * *

><p>Love is war.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 10: The Battle of Zeros] **

The moon hovered in the sky, as if waiting to witness the blood about to be shed; to hear the clanging swords, screeching against steel, with sparks marveling at the moon's fluorescence. The captain of squad 10 hoped that the moon was on his side tonight. As if adjusting the stage lights, the moon's eerie cast was abruptly shrouded by dark, swaying feathers. His emerald eyes rivaled that of the moon, but Toshiro was yet to be intimidated by his appearance. Wind wafted between the two fighters, one with a deep scowl, and one with a light smirk.

"You said you were a captain." Toshiro stared at him with a lack of response, as the being scratched at his chin in musing. "But, from what I can tell, you look like you're half my age. Say, you a prodigy, Snow Flake?"

"If you're trying to anger me, it's not going to work." Toshiro tightened the grip around his hilt, never faltering from his watch on the Fallen Angel.

"Who said I was trying to anger you? I was merely… curious." The white-stranded child whipped around from the feel of a hot breath by his ear. He spun around to see that the Tenshi no Namida had returned to face him. "Fast reflexes. It'll do you well if you keep at that high alert, _Captain Hitsugaya_." The squad captain narrowed his eyes dangerously at the sarcastic tone, but stood his ground. He was not going to join this man's incompetent games. "You got other stuff you'd like to tell me?"

Toshiro growled beneath his breath. "Quit it with this foolishness. I know you're trying to size me up by stature alone, and I won't stand for it."

"Hoh?" Satsugai stuffed his hand into a pocket, raising a baffled eyebrow with mirth in his piercing eyes. "You mind running that by me again? From what I heard you telling your lieutenant, you sounded like you were basing her off on her stature as well. To me, that sounds highly hypocritical." Satsugai grinned at the shorter captain, already liking the amusement he was having with him. Toshiro gritted his teeth, the judgment on him grinding on his nerves. _He sent her off so she'd be safe, nothing more and nothing less. _"Did I hit a nerve?"

Toshiro held back a menacing growl at the cynical quality of the man's voice, but kept his posture. "But what would I know? I'm a complete a stranger to you, and you to me. Are my evaluating skills all right? Chujit keeps complaining about my lack of thinking during battle, so… you wanna prove him wrong?" Instantly, Satsugai swung his ax upwards, fighting off an assaulting blade from his figure. The Fallen Angel scowled at the sudden attack, Toshiro gritting his teeth at the immense force he yielded unto his Hyourinmaru. With a heavy grunt, Satsugai pushed the tiny captain backwards. Toshiro flipped in the air to stand upright once again.

The Tenshi No Namida's scowl soon alternated into a sneer, his ax twirling in his palm effortlessly. "I like the look on your face, Shinigami." The ax's spinning halted in his hand, the blade pointing downwards towards the buildings and streets below them. "Mind showing me some of that 'look' through your actions?" Without warning, the ax hurtled towards him within a blink of an eye, and it nearly nicked his chin. The Fallen Angel's smile grew with iciness, his figure blurring. Toshiro immediately swung behind him, blocking the attack intended for his back. The winged male lurched backwards a few feet, gaining distance between them.

With a clench of his jaw, Toshiro grasped his zanpaktou like a lifeline, sweat forming on his brow. _He was incredibly fast. _There was no denying it. With the help of his foot's push, he shunpoed forward with his sword raised. "Haaaaah!" The heavy bangs of their colliding weapons echoed in their ears, the focus to kill evident in both males' eyes. Toshiro jabbed at any open chance he got, but this Fallen Angel was too fast. As if he were peering into the prodigy's mind, and already knowing what his next move would be. Instantaneously, his sword was shoved away by the grip of the ax, leaving his abdomen open for attack.

"Augh!" Toshiro yelped, the force of the ax's butt meeting with his stomach. He flew with immense velocity, crashing onto a building's roof, and slightly breaking the ground beneath his back from the powerful collision. He winced at the stings throughout his body at his attempt at sitting up, but merely swallowed a gulp of air to bring himself back. He shakily stood to his feet, breathing excessively through his mouth. _The fight had barely begun, and he was near exhausted. _He steered his attention to the sky, and there stood the Fallen Angel, peering down at him as if he were of lower status.

"How long ya gonna stay there, Shinigami?" Satsugai ridiculed. Toshiro clutched at his arm, hoping that his fighting arm hadn't broken from the fall. _He had to find an opening; that was all he needed. _"Hmph, fine then… I'll come to you!" the winged man exclaimed, beating his wings with an elegance and speed so perfectly balanced, that Toshiro almost stood mesmerized by it. His senses returned when the ax flew at him, one attack that he nearly dodged in time. The ax jabbed at him at almost every turn he moved, his shunpo not helping his predicament. And that's when he noticed it. _A pattern. _The raven-haired individual rotated the ax in his hand twice, only to switch it with the other hand to continue the arrangement. _Opening. That was all he needed._

After watching the ax's patterns even more, the more he was convinced about his theory. He watched the cycle vigilantly, the image slowing down to accommodate his hand's sudden movement. When he caught the sight of the ax's butt, his arm reached forward, only to trap the weapon in his palm. The Fallen Angel's eyes widened at the fact that his weapon was stopped. Toshiro's frown deepened, his hold on the ax getting even tighter.

"…Hmph." Satsugai's expression transformed from his initial astonishment into a satisfied smirk. "I knew you were smart." Toshiro narrowed his eyes, feeling suspicious at the man's change of tone. "But… that's why you'll end up killed." With a quick flick of his wrist, Satsugai pulled on his ax, separating from its lower half. Toshiro's turquoise irises widened. A chain linked the ax's lower and upper half, and with canines displayed, Satsugai quickly wrapped the chain around him.

"… No…" Toshiro barely whispered, as the first signs of lethargy seeped into his system.

**XLXLXL**

"What do we have here? The three musketeers?" The winged entity swiped a lone bang behind an ear. Ishida, Chad, and Inoue remained silent, watching the Fallen Angel with a keen eye. "Look, I'll spare you three the chit-chat. I know what all of you came here for, and believe me when I say that you won't even lay a scratch on me."

"From what I recall, if Sado-kun hadn't intentionally missed you, you wouldn't be standing right now," Ishida relayed. The Tenshi no Namida glared at the Quincy, reaching around his waist for the hilt of his sword.

"Take me for my word, Quincy. I won't let anything get passed me." The winged male crouched, his blade's metal glinting from the moonlight. A red, teardrop-shaped gem glinted at the base of the blade. With a powerful thrust from the balls of his feet, he launched forward, only to collide with Chad's shield of Brazo Derecha de Gigante. The blonde man sneered at the emotionless teenager, satisfied at the fact that he was able to push the giant at least a few inches back. Finding that it was futile to pursue the shield, he leaped backwards to gain some yards.

"Hmph. Pretty impressive how a human can withstand my zanpaktou." Their opponent scratched at his chin wonderingly, delight displayed in his pools of red irises. "But you're not really human, are you?" He leaned in towards the teenagers' direction, his mouth's width expanding at the corners. "Fuminsho," he called out, a palm hovering over the ruby of his zanpaktou. "Jobutsu Suru!" Crimson light emanated from the miniscule gem, a forceful current of wind lifting patches of his clothes and hair.

"Inoue, get ou-" Ishida began, but the accumulating glow from the Fallen Angel's sword had already blasted towards them. In almost a programmed reflex, Ishida tackled the cantaloupe-stranded female to the side, covering her body with his to block her from the oncoming attack. Orihime yelped from the sudden push, catching a glimpse of Sado jumping in front of them to block the assault with his third form of Brazo Derecha de Gigante.

Chad grunted from the pushing energy, the flash of red pouncing on his transformed arm from the ruby. As if a towel soaking up a puddle of liquid, his arm absorbed the light and Sado collapsed on the ground, both sides of his arms liquefying back to normal.

"Sado-kun!" Orihime cried, as she broke from Ishida's grasp and charged towards her fallen friend. "Soten Kisshun!" she immediately summoned, her fingertips placed on her twinkling hair clips. An orange surface instantly enveloped the gentle giant's body, but no sign of resurrection was occurring. No wounds were inflicted on him, so there was nothing to mend. Orihime deepened her power to the extent she could reach, but nothing was happening to bring her friend back.

"Wondering why he's not waking up?" Ishida cocked his Quincy bow and arrow towards the fiend, Orihime's focus solely on Chad. The Fallen Angel smiled. "My zanpaktou's the only zanpaktou that has a name in our group. It has the ability to cause a person to fall asleep, oh, but don't worry, your friend _will _awaken..." Ishida narrowed his eyes dangerously, extending the bow for a possible shot. "…Once I allow him to." With a quick ascent from the ground, he flew, dodging the electric-blue reishii aimed at him from the Quincy's weapon.

"I bet you know what I am, Quincy." He fluttered back on the street a few distances away, a menacing grin on his lips. Ishida gritted his teeth. "I'm a Forowa." In an immediate shunpo, he perched himself on a building due to another attack of blue light, peering below him at the humans. "But I'm not gonna go into Macho Man's dream… I'm more interested… in someone else's." The Fallen Angel cocked his head to the side, staring maliciously at Orihime's form.

"Don't even try coming near her," Ishida warned. The winged being scoffed.

"Oh, no. I'm not coming after her…" The blonde male stood to his haunches from his crouching position, a palm floating above the gem on his sword once again. "…Yet." A flash of a crimson beam appeared in Ishida's peripheral, as he quickly evaded it with the help of his Hirenkyaku. Ishida instantly pulled his arm back, shooting off another ray of reishii. "Don't you just wonder what's going on through that woman's head?" The Fallen Angel immediately avoided another shot. "What she dreams about?" Ishida extended his arm, letting it go only to be escaped. "_Who _she dreams about?" At the statement, Ishida's eyes widened. "Well I know one thing… She doesn't dream about _you._"

**XLXLXL**

"Spare me your introduction. I'm not interested in weaklings like you." The winged male gracefully landed on his feet, flipping a dangling stray of navy-blue hair behind him. Renji growled low, extracting his sword from the hilt.

"Fine then. If you're so eager to lose your life, I'm more than eager to help you! Howl, Zabimaru!" He ran a hand over his zanpaktou, transforming it into its shikai form. The Fallen Angel watched with indifference, one palm situated on a hip, and the other sweeping another long strand of hair behind an ear. With a thrust of his arm, his zanpaktou extended, clanging against the Tenshi no Namida's sword. The winged entity barely looked like he had any trouble in fending it off. Renji scowled, smacking his sword like a whip to bring it back towards his body.

Renji noticed that the sword the man used barely looked like a zanpaktou at all. More like a billhook, with the length so short. He steered his eyes onto leather-clad hips, a hilt hanging loosely on a belt-hook. "I suggest you use another zanpaktou. A small thing like that isn't going to work." Renji cocked his head towards the stashed sword, the Tenshi no Namida scoffing noticeably.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve a chance to see such a beautiful zanpaktou." Kettei sighed, fingering the underside of his blade.

"Then why don't I prove you wrong?" Renji flicked his wrist, Zabimaru's length elongating only to smash in much of the same manner on the same, small sword. Kettei barely blinked. Renji brought his arm upwards, only to bring it back down to crash into the billhook. He whipped his zanpaktou to the side of the Fallen Angel, but Kettei blocked it all the same.

Zabimaru launched back into its original shape, Renji's limit of attack upon him. _He had to find a way for the Fallen Angel to bring out the other sword. _This wasn't a real fight. "Is this all a Shinigami can do? Like I said before- pathetic." Kettei sighed. "You might as well give up. There's no way of winning against me, and there's no way of knowing how to attack-" Before the blunette could finish his sentence, Renji's zanpaktou was again against his sword. "Tch, how rude. And cowardly at that. Don't you know that interrupting people when they're talking is-" With a twist of his arm, Renji's zanpaktou made a curve around the Tenshi no Namida's body. With no other choice, Kettei unsheathed his sword to instantaneously repel Zabimaru's constriction.

"Hn, don't you know that paying attention during battle is most vital?" Renji mocked. Kettei glared at him, slashing at Zabimaru's length to get it away from him. The frown began to waver, and instead, an ominous smile replaced it.

"I see that you're determined on fighting me with my other zanpaktou. Hmph, how admirable." Renji drove his attention onto the other sword, finding that it actually looked like a normal zanpaktou. "But, I can assure you, you'll only be speeding your death."

"Hmph," Renji scoffed, a smirk stretching across his face. As Zabimaru's extended length approached the Fallen Angel, Kettei stood immobilized. When the sword nearly nicked the blunet's chest, Kettei shoved his longer zanpaktou towards the sky, the moonlight reflecting off of the blade. Renji's sword automatically halted, his russet-colored eyes widening at the sight beset in front of him. Flowing, raven hair with kenseikan as an accessory, and silver-violet eyes with the attire of a shinigami, completed with a white scarf was what met him. "B-Byakuya… taicho." Renji vocalized with astonishment. Abruptly, the vision of Kettei Suru returned, but when he glanced downwards, the billhook had pierced through his stomach.

He realized that the sword had extended, like the zanpaktou Gin Ichimaru had. The zanpaktou shortened to its original size, in turn, sliding from out of Renji's abdomen and causing him to cough up blood. He gripped at the upended flesh, standing upright by the help of his Zabimaru as a makeshift cane. "You're wondering why you saw someone else, am I correct?" Renji merely kept staring with scorn. "Hmph." The Tenshi no Namida smiled. "You see, I'm a Fasado." The lieutenant involuntarily gasped at the information, but regained his stance. "This zanpaktou"-Kettei gestured towards his longer sword-"has the ability to reflect one's desires into another being's eyes, and while distracted, my other zanpaktou can elongate to go in for the kill from any distance."

Renji gritted his teeth, still gripping at his penetrated stomach. "I told you before: I will be the end of you."

**XLXLXL**

The white lotuses spiraled in the atmosphere around them, but the two women's eyes were trained on the lilac-stranded female's figure, standing as if frozen but breathing. The younger Kuchiki grasped the hilt of her sword, watching the Fallen Angel vigilantly. Matsumoto, on the other hand, had already unsheathed her zanpaktou, worry etched on her features. "I do not wish to fight." Rukia and Matsumoto both stared at her in disbelief, but recovered after the information sunk in. "But I do have a request." Rukia chanced a glance behind her at her voluptuous companion, wondering if they should listen to whatever the woman was about to spout off.

"Our leader wants the arrancar, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, and if we will have him, we shall leave and never return."

"Who's your leader?" Rukia demanded, while the Tenshi no Namida stared on with apathy.

"I apologize, but I cannot answer that." She bowed her head in a request for forgiveness, but the two weren't buying it.

"Tell us who your leader is!" Matsumoto spoke in her authoritative voice, hoping that her command would get through to the Fallen Angel.

"Like I have said, I cannot." Abruptly, the lotus flowers' spins in the air halted, a chilly breeze sweeping in. "Bring us Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," Yuki insisted, a powerful wind whipping at her strands of light-purple hair. Rukia immediately reached for Sode no Shirayuki, releasing the zanpaktou from its sheathe. "If you will not, I must get him by force." Yuki brought her hand forward, the lotus flowers shedding some petals to finally transform into pointed shuriken. She thrust her arm back only to push forward, the floating weapons directed towards the two Shinigami.

"Growl, Haineko!" Matsumoto's zanpaktou instantly disintegrated into ash, attacking the shurikens' descent towards the both of them. The weapons the Fallen Angel used crumbled into miniscule pieces, dropping ashamedly to the ground. Yuki looked unfazed by the fact that her projectiles were destroyed. She lowered her palm to the ground, the fragmented pieces of her white lotuses quivering. Rukia and Matsumoto watched on with curiosity and fear at what could possibly happen. When Yuki raised her hand, the broken portions mended themselves, again harmless white lotuses bobbing in the air. The flowers began to transform into shuriken once more, as she pulled her arm backwards to bring it forward.

The soaring shuriken targeted for them both. "Mai, Sode no Shirayuki," Rukia chanted, pointing the tip of her zanpaktou south, four streaks of light flooding down. "Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" A pillar of ice shot off from the tip of her sword, encasing the speeding shuriken from reaching them. The block of ice shattered, leaving no sign of the white lotuses' existences. Yuki yet again looked unperturbed by it. The female Fallen Angel reached for her zanpaktou, unsheathing a diminutive dagger with blue topazes adorning the hilt.

"It seems I cannot defeat you both if I do not go to desperate measures." Switching the sword into her other hand, she resurrected her white lotuses with the other palm, her flowers spiraling in the air once more. She ran her fingers over her zanpaktou, the stones beginning to glow. The two women abruptly gasped at what they saw, not comprehending why they were seeing these individual characters. Matsumoto viewed a sweet-smiling Gin Ichimaru, while on the opposite end, Rukia was seeing the deceased lieutenant, Kaien Shiba. Abruptly, as if shattering glass, the vision of their favorite persons disappeared, and stings throughout their bodies were felt.

Rukia peered below her, seeing multiple white lotuses fluttering to the ground, her blood staining each of them. She glimpsed over at Matsumoto, and she was in much of the same predicament, the shuriken embedded in her body only to shrivel up into white lotuses yet again and dropping onto the street gracefully. At that moment, Matsumoto glanced upwards to catch her captain enveloped in chains and falling from the sky. "C-… Captain!"

**XLXLXL**

Toshiro opened his eyes, blinking a bit when his surrounding environment was blurry. _Where was he? _He noticed that ice covered almost every inch of the setting he was in, but the coldness did nothing to him. He shakily stood to his feet, observing the place he was in, and recognized it to be the place he visited whenever he spoke with Hyourinmaru. An echoing laughter sounded against his eardrums, and he spun around, trying to find the source of it. "Wondering why you're in here?" Toshiro gasped from the mocking voice, his turquoise eyes widening.

"Tell me where you are!" The same laughter answered him.

"Aww, ya forgot 'bout me already? That's truly sad, _Captain Hitsugaya_." Toshiro snarled, remembering the Fallen Angel wrapping a chain that connected his ax together around him.

"Come out and face me, Tenshi no Namida!"

"But…" The voice echoed. "What would be the fun in that?" An explosion of ice in his periphery occurred, and through all of the ice particles and dust, a man stood in the middle of it, hands in his gothic rave pants. Toshiro narrowed his eyes at the foe, hands balling into fists. "I bet you're wondering where you're at, huh?" A slight wind blew both of their hairs, their clothes ruffling along with it. "You're in a dream."

Toshiro's brows furrowed in confusion. _This couldn't be a dream. _They could have teleported to another setting. They could've entered his soul's world. Or the Tenshi no Namida had put him into a world filled with hallucinations. "Don't believe me?" At that exact moment, a pointed piece of ice sliced his hand, and Toshiro hissed. "Ya see? I control your dream right now. Anything that happens to your body in here, happens to your body out there, so I wouldn't want to be killed in here if I were you." Satsugai smirked. Toshiro looked at him in suspicion.

"My zanpaktou, it can separate, but is still connected due to a chain." Satsugai began to pace, his onyx hair drifting with the wind. "That chain has toxins that enter the body whenever touched anywhere, and it causes a person to fall asleep. That way, I can enter their dreams," the Fallen Angel elucidated. "You were thinking I had a pattern to how I used my ax, and in fact, I do, but that's why you're here. My opponent thinks that if they get rid of my zanpaktou, they can beat me. Hmph." Satsugai rolled his eyes. "In your case, you fell right for the bait. You grabbed for my ax when the time was right, and I was able to pull the other end of my zanpaktou, releasing the chain.

"People who use their instincts survive for a while, but…" Satsugai halted in his pacing, a grin stretching his lips. "People who use their brains have already lost that chance."

**XLXLXL**

He bounded over every building in sight, the night wind brushing at his strands of hair. His friends were most likely already engaging the enemies, and he had to help out in any way he could. "I thought you'd wimp out on me, Shinigami." Ichigo immediately halted in his shunpo, rotating to the familiar voice. He instantly grabbed for his zanpaktou, pointing it towards the male. Lengthy, charcoal-colored hair flittered in the blowing breeze, a torn hakama following the movement.

"You…" Ichigo seethed, flashes of the last encounter flitting through his mind. "What do you want?"

"The same reason I came here last time: Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." Ichigo gritted his teeth, his grip around the sword getting tauter.

"What the hell does he have to do with anything!" Hato merely smiled at him, his eerie, crimson irises bright enough to be made out in the dark.

"Everything."

Having enough of the mind games, the teenage Shinigami raised his sword. "Haaaaah!" he cried, bringing Zangetsu downwards to smash into Hato's boomerang-shaped sword. The Fallen Angel chuckled.

"Where'd all this anger come from, Shinigami?" Ichigo recoiled, only to go back in for the kill, repeating the same assault. "Are you angry because we're causing your friends misery? Angry because we're causing havoc in your mundane life? Or…"

The sparks flew as their swords rammed into each other, a snarl emanating from Ichigo's throat.

"You angry because we want to take your lover away?"

Ichigo mustered all the strength he could, delivering such a strong hit onto the Tenshi no Namida's sword that Hato could barely fend it off and Zangetsu sliced a thin line on his left breast. Ichigo panted, sweat accumulating on his brow and upper lip. Hato just smirked, propping his zanpaktou on a shoulder.

"Heh, so that's the reason." Ichigo eyed him with a frown, breathing unevenly. "I bet he was the one you saw when you fought me last time. I wonder what you'll see tonight."

"Shut… the hell up!" With a quick push from his foot, Ichigo bounded into the air, gravitating down to smash swords with Hato once more.

"Why so upset, Shinigami? Don't want him to leave?" With each hit Ichigo bestowed on him, he backed a few steps to gain distance between the attacker and him. "Want to keep him here?"

Ichigo grunted from his forceful attack.

"You care for him, Shinigami?" Ichigo's assault instantly halted when the image of a certain teal-haired character met his eyes. Immediately, he caught onto the trick, and leaped backwards before Hato had the chance to stab him anywhere. The wind blew at their feet to the tips of their hairs, silence being alternated between the two males. "Heh, you saw him, didn't you?" The orangette avoided the Tenshi no Namida's eyes, clasping his hand around Zangetsu's hilt.

"Well, guess what? Once we capture him… you're never going to see him again." Ichigo gritted his teeth at the possible future. Hato smiled. This was what he was aiming for. To rile the teenager up. It was obvious that the Shinigami had feelings for the arrancar from the way he looked at him. He had specifically come here for a mission, but he found toying with people's minds much more fun. He was sure the others would find Grimmjow for him anyway, and the problem would be solved. After all, he got to fight with someone, and that's all he came here for.

"Getsuga…" he whispered. "Tenshou!" An electric blue, spiritual energy surrounded him, his hair flaring and his sword raised by both hands. At the summoning of his attack, he brought his zanpaktou down, a strong wave of reiatsu lurching towards the Fallen Angel. Hato watched on, mesmerized, until he gained his right mind and brought his sword up to block the attack from getting any closer to him. He set his jaw, the assault pushing him backwards a few inches.

At his disadvantage from standing, Ichigo took it as a chance to attack, and took it he did. He shunpoed towards the Tenshi no Namida, and with a battle cry, he totaled the Fallen Angel a huge one, and Hato flew at a nearby building's roof. Dust shrouded the view from below him, and Ichigo chose it best to wait it out. Like he had expected, Hato swung his sword to spread the dust from around him, and leaped into the sky yet again. Immediately after, Hato thrust his arm and let go of his zanpaktou, the boomerang sword pushing against Zangetsu.

Ichigo pushed the zanpaktou from him, as it curved around to return to its owner. Instantaneously, Hato rushed at him and clanged against his zanpaktou. The Fallen Angel began to just randomly stab at any opening he got, and it was beginning to cause strain on Ichigo. He knew he shouldn't use another Getsuga Tenshou. _He knew he shouldn't. _But the fight was more difficult than he had imagined it would be. _He had to… One last time… _"Getsuga Tenshou!" His attack managed to throw Hato away from him, and as he watched the Fallen Angel's descent towards another building, he felt that same tugging behind his sternum from before.

He instantly clutched at his chest, trying to lessen the hurt but it just kept getting more and more unbearable. It was if his chest was being ripped apart, and not taking it any longer, he began to scream hysterically, until altogether he plummeted towards the streets. He couldn't think of anything else but the horrible pain. He wasn't thinking of the impact it would total him if he slammed into the ground or the fact that Hato could just stand up and stab him while he was falling.

As he neared the ground, he knew he was done for, and this could very well kill him. He expected he'd land on a hard surface, and all his bones would break, but instead, he felt sturdy limbs beneath his knees and back. The pain began to slowly dissipate, and his breathing began to level itself.

_Was he dead? _

He felt no more pain. He didn't land on hard ground. Maybe his fall was so fast and brutal that he smashed his cranium onto it and it killed him instantly so he barely felt it. _Where did Shinigami go when they died, _he wondered. _Probably Hueco Mundo._

_He wished he could at least see him…_

He slowly opened his eyes, his vision unfocused and unsteady. He blinked a few times, and the first thing he made out was teal. "G-… Grimmjow!" Ichigo instantly leaned upwards, accidentally bonking heads with the taller male.

"Ah, fuck, Ichigo!" he cursed, nearly dropping the boy entirely. "Calm down, will ya? Damn…"

"Wait, it _is_ you, right? Like, I'm not dead? You're not a reflection of my desires?" Grimmjow's eyes immediately widened, eyebrows shooting toward his hairline. Ichigo stared for a while, but when he went over his words again, he gazed at Grimmjow in a much of the same manner. The arrancar's shocked expression morphed into a shit-eating grin, the Shinigami swallowing copious amounts of his saliva.

"I'm the one ya see?" The ex-Espada broke into guffaws, Ichigo's head heating up incredibly.

"N-no, you bastard! I was just asking be-because it was possible that you could've just been a trick of the eye from the Fallen Angel! Let me the fuck down, asshole!" Ichigo began to protest. Grimmjow let him down, still laughing rather loudly. Ichigo shakily stood on his feet, nearly falling to his knees before Grimmjow caught him in time. "Leggo!"

"Whatever it was you saw, I'm gonna force it outta ya later whether ya like or not. But for now, I'm gonna kick some Fallen Angel ass."


	11. Chapter 11: The Follow Through

**Question Corner:**

**1.**_ Why did Ichigo fall from the sky and nearly plummet to his death: _**Ichigo exerted himself out because he used Getsuga Tenshou more than he promised he would. So, it sped up his reiatsu loss, and that same throbbing in his chest occurred yet again, but this time, it was much more painful, and that's why he lost his balance and began to fall. You guys realize that the next time it happens, he loses his powers right? **

**2. **_When is Ichigo going to get ROYALLY wrecked in his rectum: _**Sorry. No comment. *whistles a happy tune innocently***

**3. **_Why is there IshiHime: _**I seriously do _not_ want Orihime to end up with anyone (I apologize if you like her). She's not exactly my cup of tea. But, if everyone here has watched Bleach at all, we all see how Ishida is almost always the one who knows what's going on with Orihime. Also, he's like the one who's always saving her. I think at some point, he cared for her and it turned into a serious crush or something or other. The Fallen Angel he was fighting just used her so Ishida could let his guard down. Nothing much to look into.**

**4. **_ByaRen? O_O: _**I think a lot of you are confused about Renji seeing Byakuya during his fight with Suru. I really apologize. I knew that it would be misunderstood, but I wanted you guys to infer about this. Fasado can reflect one's desire into someone's eyes and that desire can either be a goal or a romantic goal. In Renji's case, it's a goal (Sorry to disappoint ByaRen fans!). At the beginning of the series, Renji stated that he always wanted to reach Byakuya's strength or something, and someday, he would surpass him. Even now, I think he's trying to get stronger to protect those he loves, and to finally exceed Byakuya.**

**5. **_How did Grimmjow escape the Urahara Shoten when he wasn't supposed to leave?: _**Explained at the very beginning of this chapter. We're turning back the clock a bit to when Grimmjow was asking Rukia where the Tenshi no Namida were at in Chapter 9.**

**Thank-woos: **cheshire13**/**Narutopokefan**/**Teruul**/**DevilishBea**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**skyglazingMaro**/**Recklessly Impulsive**/**Ivy Jane Backer**/**whatthehellwasithinkin**/**Aka-chan57**/**thinkbleach**/**Mesutora

**Thank you to all of you :) I'm so happy that I get about 10-11 reviews for each of the chapters. I really couldn't have done all of this without you. **

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><p>Looking straight ahead.<p>

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><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 11: The Follow-Through]**

"Oi," the arrancar called out towards the petite Shinigami. "Where's this so-called Tenshi no Namida at?"

Rukia perked up at the sound of the ex-Espada's voice. She cocked her head toward him, displaying apathy. "That is really none of your concern, arrancar. You won't need the information because you won't encounter one."

Grimmjow scoffed, stuffing his calloused palms into his jean pockets. "Heh. I knew you'd be useless. I'll find one on my own." The teal-haired male trudged forward, only halting with another shout of "Arrancar!" thrown at him. He turned his torso slightly to glance at the woman, her eyes steely and grave.

"I know Ichigo, and he won't want you becoming a part of this."

"Too late, Shinigami…" His back faced her, Rukia's eyes scanning for any sign of a possible lie. "They're here… because they're looking for _me_." Rukia's dark-violet eyes widened at the statement. "I don't appreciate ya thinkin' I'm commanded by that Strawberry. Ya know- if ya look even closer…" Grimmjow leaned in towards her, as she remained frozen and glaring heatedly. "You might even see that _I'm _the one commandin' _him_." The arrancar smiled with malevolence, drinking in the sight of the Shinigami's infuriated eyes. The smirk was erased from his lips once the girl released an exhale, directing her eyes to the ground.

"I just hope you know what you're doing with him." She looked at him, lecture completely in her violets. "Because I know for sure that he doesn't know himself- ah!" Rukia yelped, a constricting palm around her neck lifting her from the sand, her feet dangling in the air. She gripped at his wrist, but his grasp on her never faltered. "R-release me!"

"That is none of _your _concern," Grimmjow hissed through a fake smirk. "Ah, I remember you now; was wonderin' why ya looked so familiar." Rukia gritted her teeth, her legs swinging to and fro for any sign of ground beneath her. "Yer that woman I punched a hole through." The younger Kuchiki glowered at him, his grin expanding to his cheeks. "Keep nosin' into my business, and I'll do it again." He smiled at the woman's shout of shock as he threw her from him without as much as a care.

She leaned on her knees, one hand clutching at her throat as she wheezed uncontrollably. "Y-you're… vile…" Grimmjow stared at her with a deep scowl etched on his features, watching her cough up a storm.

"That's what a hollow is." Deciding that he couldn't stand gazing at the elfin Shinigami any longer, he traipsed towards the lengthy ladder, stepping on the first rung. He knew that woman would recover her air supply rather quickly, so he climbed upwards with the swiftness of a panther. He wasn't hurrying himself because of the Shinigami; he wanted to fight, and he was going to do it without interruption from that woman, the shopkeeper or Ichigo. "Don't try to stop me. I won't listen anyway," he elucidated for the blonde male.

"I wasn't planning to, but a word of caution…" Urahara sipped from his newly brewed tea, his striped hat obscuring his eyes in darkness. "Your locker won't be pleased."

Grimmjow nearly rolled his eyes at the warning, but opted for a sinister smile instead. "That just makes it better." With a rapid flick of his wrist, the shoji door was shoved to the side, the night sky beaming down at the both of them. As he paced onward, he was able to sense a distinct sign of reiatsu in his periphery, and in no time at all, two figures shunpoed in front of him, barricading him access towards where the fights were really intense.

The one on his right was hairless, orange streaks etched beneath both of his waterlines; his zanpaktou perched against his shoulder. He glanced over at the other male with a sort of bob-style haircut, maroon and citrine-colored feathers situated on his finely groomed eyebrow and at the edge of his eye. From the garments they wore, Grimmjow concurred that these two were undoubtedly Shinigami. He sneered at the two, his eyebrows stitching together to form a definite V.

"Ah, Yumichika-san, Ikkaku-san. I haven't seen you two in quite a while," Urahara greeted with a wave of his fan.

"We just reported a few things to the Soul Society. It wouldn't have taken so long if Captain Kurotsuchi hadn't shut the Dangai down," Yumichika explained, flipping a portion of his hair behind him.

"Oh?" The blonde man's eyebrows rose, astonishment clearly evident on his face. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"He thinks something's been going back and forth without permission. Even the Head-Captain thought it best to close the Precipice World." Ikkaku scratched at his temple in contemplation, perplexed by the events occurring as of late.

"And did Kurotsuchi assign anyone from Squad 12 to investigate?" the ex-captain questioned.

"It's a rumor, but I've heard that Kurotsuchi-taichou was searching for something in the Dangai, but he came up empty-handed." Yumichika propped his chin on a palm, Urahara's eyes trained on his reflection in the herbal tea. Silence swept the Urahara Shoten, each of them feeling the rise of reiatsu throughout Karakura-Cho.

"Look, all three of ya can chit-chat all you want, but I'm not gonna stand around hearing this bullshit," Grimmjow began, attempting to push between them to hunt for a worthy opponent, but the duo barely budged. "Move, before I break off your limbs," the arrancar threatened, both of the Shinigami staring at him with solemnity.

"It's all right, gentlemen. Let him go." Urahara tried to ease the tension.

"He can't fight. It'd be better for all of us if he stayed put," Ikkaku elucidated.

"Let him go, Ikkaku-san. And while he's at it, you might as well go with him. They'll need all the help they can get." Urahara tipped the cup's edge towards his lips, the warm liquid swirling down his throat as if into a drain. The 3rd seat eyed the Espada suspiciously, and with a lasting glower, he stepped aside, Grimmjow smirking as he sprinted off elsewhere.

Ikkaku sighed, scraping his nails against an itch on his scalp. "Come on, Yumichika."

"Go on ahead. I'll be right with you." His best friend nodded, disappearing in a blurred vision beside him due to his shunpo. After making sure his friend was nowhere near, he shifted his attention towards the shopkeeper, his lips in a thin line. "What we're fighting now- are they what's causing this entire monstrosity in Seireitei?"

Urahara brought his eyes from his hardened-clay cup, devoid of any drop of his soothing antioxidant. His silver eyes told of something grim and foreboding, and yet no words had left his mouth to reach Yumichika's curious ears. The 5th seat bit at his lip, and without further ado, he flash stepped to the nearest fight he came upon. That was he all he needed to know.

**XLXLXL**

The strawberry blonde clutched at her sliced abdomen, the ability to breathe nearly unbearable. _How could such harmless flowers transform into such cruel projectiles? _Her eyes remained focused on the form of her young captain plummeting towards the streets, and the sight was just too heartbreaking. How could her powerful captain fall so quickly to such a foe? Were the Fallen Angels this powerful? You'd think with all of the majesty and grace they exuded, they'd be less life threatening.

She heaved for oxygen, although it caused strain throughout her body. She glanced over at Rukia, and her predicament seemed much worse than her own. The young Kuchiki looked as if ready to collapse; she couldn't possibly leave her now to fend for herself against this menace. Cuts marred every patch of skin she laid eyes on, and in Rukia's case, it seemed the lotuses targeted her more.

"G—" the younger of the two gasped out. "G-… Go, Matsu… Moto…" Matsumoto switched her gaze towards her companion, seeing the desperation in her eyes. Rukia knew how much she yearned to be by her captain's side in his time of most need. Seeing that her friend was about to protest, she interjected immediately with her voice, though raspy. "Go to him… Mn—" Rukia grunted, a tiny shift of her foot already causing pain to wrack throughout her body. "I know what you're feeling- I've had it before." A thought of Kaien seeped into her mind, as she winced when another shuriken separated from her arm to flutter to the ground, soaked with her blood.

"…Kuchiki…" Matsumoto whispered, sensing the girl's pain from their short distance. It hurt her to think of leaving her when she was at her most vulnerable, but she knew that if she stayed to defend her, it would only harm Rukia's pride, and it would be a waste of her brave sacrifice. With no other choice, she flashstepped to where her captain was located, leaving Kuchiki to her own devices.

Yuki gazed at her with absolute indifference, her purple hair swaying in the wind. "…Your ally has left, and you have no strength to fight me," Yuki stated with a monotone, the raven-haired female clasping her bleeding forearm. "Do you wish to die?" The noble's bottom lip quivered from the night's sweeping chill, her zanpaktou being lifted, though shakily.

"…I wish to defeat _you_," Rukia voiced with a conviction she thought she hadn't possessed. The Fallen Angel bowed her head in comprehension, her plump lips dipping south.

"I see." The Tenshi no Namida raised her head, her eyebrows inched together to form a deep frown, intimidating Rukia in the least. She elevated her palm above the ground with ease, no sign of anger or sympathy in her movements. The petals that had seemingly fallen from the Shinigami's body commenced on shaking, Rukia's eyes widening from sudden realization. The lotus flowers rose upwards, bobbing in the atmosphere near Rukia's figure. With a twist of Yuki's wrist, the once harmless flowers shredded their surrounding petals, transforming into deadly shuriken, pointed towards her.

Before she had the minute to assemble herself, Yuki's hand pushed forward, the blades following the command. The short female braced herself for the impact she knew would meet her, but instead, the touch of fabric against her knuckles and the sudden swish of wind in front of her alerted her. She opened her violet eyes, registering orange before anything else. The woman's arm was lifted to the side, seeming to have flicked off each and every one of the lotus flowers. "…You all right there, Kuchiki?" a familiar feminine voice asked her, the head of her savior slightly turned.

"Y-… Yoruichi-san…"

**XLXLXL**

"Geh!" Ishida yelped, the blade of the Tenshi no Namida's sword upending his arm's flesh.

"Aww, did I hit a nerve?" the blonde male teased, a side-smirk emerging on his lips.

"B-bastard…" Ishida seethed, grasping at his bleeding skin and narrowing his navy-blue eyes at his opponent. The Fallen Angel chuckled, throwing his head back at the petty nickname for him.

"You amuse me, Quincy. You don't strike me as the type to name-call," the winged male confessed. "I know you're smart enough to think up of a more clever insult for me. Come on, Quincy; _amuse _me."

"Hmph, you won't need one." Ishida smiled, pushing on the bridge of his glasses. "Fallen Angel is enough of an insult to be titled." The Tenshi no Namida bared his teeth at the teenager, recovering his arrogant smile almost too soon for Ishida to celebrate.

"Clever… but not enough to satisfy me." His palm hovered above the red gem on his zanpaktou, a menacing grin stretching across his face. "Fuminsho, Jobutsu Suru!" Ishida pulled the string of his bow backwards, readying himself for the red streak of light to collide with his blue ray but instead of the sword's aim pointing at him, the Tenshi no Namida had swerved to cock it at Orihime's form.

"Inoue-san!" he screamed out to her, putting his Hirenkyaku into motion instantly. The bright crimson beam smashed into his back, seemingly seeping into the clothes he wore and into his system.

"Ishida-kun!" Orihime yelled, landing beside his collapsed figure and shaking his body by tugging his sleeve repeatedly. "…Ishida-kun?" she whispered with a dying hope. "Sado-kun?" She peeked behind her, already knowing that her gigantic friend would not be awakened. Tears welled in her eyes, although she knew they were still alive and breathing. But they might as well be dead if the Fallen Angel didn't rouse them from their sleep. She quickly wiped the teardrops from her eyes, focusing her grey irises onto the floating male. "Please… Wake them up…" She interlocked her fingers, as if praying to a deity in the sky.

The Tenshi no Namida itched at his chin in musing, delighting in her pleading for him to return her friends. "Hmm… If I release them from their slumber… will _you_ replace them?" At his condition, the girl's eyes grew to double the size it was before, tears still residing at the corners of her eyes. She begrudgingly drove her pupils to the ground, trying to prevent the quakes of her body. She knew what a Forowa could to her in her sleep; in her _dreams. _She could get killed brutally, or worse… but… Ishida and Chad always sacrificed themselves for her… So why couldn't she do the same for them? Her lips parted for her answer, but a male's voice replaced hers.

"That is despicable." Orihime gazed towards the night sky, her eyes perceiving a familiar figure a few yards away from the winged being. "Having a girl beg for mercy for her friends, only to let her choose between herself and her companions. That is revolting."

"Y-Yumichika… san…"

"Have you no sense of beauty? Of righteousness even towards an enemy?" The onyx-stranded male unsheathed his zanpaktou ever so slowly, the moonlight dancing on his blade. "Must you learn the proper way of respect towards a lady? Bloom, Fuji Kujaku." Yumichika swiped a hand over his zanpaktou, as it glowed momentarily only to morph into four sickle-shaped blades. "I guess I'll have to teach you."

**XLXLXL**

A bone-chilling breeze swept the premises, lifting Renji's ruby hair as well as Suru's. The winged entity gazed at him with complete egotism, as he flipped a strand of his silky hair behind him. "Hmph… You are just like all the rest. You think you can defeat me because I have a short sword, but in fact it elongates. My zanpaktous are based on the resolve to oneself. There are opponents I have who are not confident enough, so when they see my sword, they think this will be easy enough. And then there are those who yearn for something more challenging…" Suru glimpsed at the heaving male, no sign of emotion in his honey irises.

"They see that my second sword might hold more for them because it's longer. These are the ones who want to prove themselves; ones who think they have more strength than the measly sword that once began it. Truly this is the basis that the world is comprised of: goal. It can push us… but sometimes, it can ruin us."

"Haaah!" Hearing the outburst from behind him, Suru immediately evaded the attack meant for his back, planting himself on a one story building. His hair swam in the wind, as he peered below him at the assaulter. His eyes narrowed at the individual, tracking a male with baldness, his Shinigami robes sleek and black. "Oi, Renji. Why the hell ya just standing there like you have no more spunk in ya? This isn't what I remember when we trained."

Renji only gazed at him with a frown, the jab at his stomach nearly immobilizing him altogether. "Che; hey, pretty boy! Come down here so we can fight! _I'm_ your opponent now!" Suru gazed at him with a raised quizzical eyebrow, sizing up the male with his walk and talk. "I know Renji wouldn't just be standing like he's in a coma with eyes open, so I know ya did something to him! Why don't ya come down here and try it on me?" Ikkaku smirked at the feminine man, said man exhaling a sigh of annoyance.

"You are no different than he was. If you want to die so young, I won't refuse."

**XLXLXL**

"Ah, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. What a lovely outcome this has turned out to be." Hato smiled, sarcasm oozing out of him in almost all directions.

"Heh. It won't be so lovely when I've killed you." Hato merely chuckled at the threat, fluttering towards the ground so they could fight on equal level.

"You do realize that this just makes everything easier, don't you?" The Fallen Angel crouched, his boomerang zanpaktou poised in his hand and ready to be thrust.

"Keh. In my eyes, I think this makes it more difficult for you!" Grimmjow pounced into the atmosphere with the aid of his foot, speeding down onto Hato's form with immense momentum, his Pantera raised and glinting from the moon's showering fluorescence. The clangs of their swords rang out, Ichigo's ears picking up on it instantly. _Ugh! That idiot!_

He wanted to jump in, but he knew it wouldn't be wise. If he did, it would more likely just harm Grimmjow than save him from it. _Was this how Rukia felt when he fought? __To feel the strong urge to butt into the banging zanpaktous to defeat the rival?_ But he had to endure it. If Rukia could, then he certainly could. He grasped Zangetsu in his palm even tighter, the constriction so taut the gap between his thumb and index finger bled. Grimmjow was in a Gigai, and he had no Resurrección to back him up. _Hato Sengoku could tear him to pieces!_ But… this was Grimmjow, and Ichigo knew better than to doubt him.

But then there was the fact that Grimmjow wasn't really Grimmjow right now. _He was basically a human in his Gigai. _But the way things were progressing, it seemed the arrancar was only having minor difficulty. Whenever their swords met, Sengokue had the upper hand since he was of spiritual content, but the ex-Espada seemed to only falter in speed. Strength wasn't such a huge problem, but each time the Fallen Angel used his shunpo to appear elsewhere to stab at an opening, Ichigo's nervousness would escalate only to decrease when Grimmjow successfully blocked it.

He would bite his nails if he wasn't so frozen in anxiety.

With the release of his hand, Sengoku's zanpaktou sliced through the air, hurtling towards the Espada with lightning speed and precision. Sensing the attack before it came, Grimmjow ducked to dodge it, and it flew behind him. That's when Ichigo realized that the sword always returned to its owner. _Always. _As Grimmjow dashed for the unarmed Tenshi no Namida, the boomerang zanpaktou was headed towards him. Before Ichigo could alert him of this, his throat ran dry, and a man had seemingly appeared, barricading the boomerang from reaching its objective.

Silver hair wafted in the night, the male Tenshi no Namida wearing an unfathomable frown on his features. Bangs shrouded his downturned eyebrows, but the frown was still clearly evident. The boomerang zanpaktou pushed on his sickle sword rather aggressively, but with a gentle nudge of his blade, Sengoku's boomerang sword fell with a clatter to the ground. With a sigh, the male spun around to meet with both Sengoku and Grimmjow's shocked faces. Ichigo detected that the Tenshi no Namida had two different eye colors; one deep purple, and one deep blue. He thought they were the same color, but once the light shone on them, Ichigo could make out the difference.

"Hato-san, what are you doing?" Sengoku cringed. "You know it is against our orders to harm Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

Ichigo watched on with widened eyes, realizing that this man was no ally of theirs. "Yeah, got a little carried away. But here he is now, so do whatever the hell you want him."

"Chujit-sama, I have done as you have asked." A male with startling white hair, extremely silver eyes, and mocha skin to stand in stark contrast suddenly appeared by his side, a male with blonde hair right behind him.

"Thank you, Shiro-kun. Kenmeina-san, you have not done as I have instructed. How will you repent?"

"I apologize, Chujit. I got a little carried away with a Quincy. A Shinigami came for back-up. I didn't predict his arrival," Unmei elucidated.

"Even so, you have exposed our abilities to the Shinigami. This will not go unnoticed."

"It's not only me, Chujit. I bet the others have as well."

"And the punishment you shall all share. Shiro-kun, where are they?" Chujit questioned, turning towards the emotionless Fallen Angel.

"The other three have returned. They have preferred to receive the consequences than to meet with us."

"I see; Kenmeina-san, your punishment is lessened, but do not think you will get out of this completely." The blonde Tenshi no Namida nodded reluctantly, Chujit spinning around to meet the arrancar's wide eyes.

"Back away from him…" The three Fallen Angels steered their attention onto the Visored, Zangetsu raised and directed towards them. The silver-stranded individual merely stared at him, a sigh on his lips.

"Let him be." Each of the Fallen Angels stared in wide-eyed revelation.

"But, Chujit—" Shiro began, only to be interrupted.

"He is not of spiritual form right now. We can't possibly take him with us. Ichigo Kurosaki, was it?" Chujit asked. "I will not go into the hysteria of introductions, for I am sure you know who we are already. Nevertheless, it is nice to finally meet Isshin Kurosaki's son. Do tell your father we stopped by." As if they never came at all, the Tenshi no Namida left no trace as to when they had come and when they had left, their reiatsu completely blocked for any of them to follow it.

**XLXLXL**

That night was the most hectic of the week. Everyone sustained severe injuries, but thankfully, Orihime had healed everyone to the point of being reborn. Toshiro had almost no recollection of what had happened that night, only some events. Ikkaku and Renji were both broken-boned inside and out, their pride slightly shattered due to their losing to Kettei Suru. Yumichika wasn't so battered up, but injured nonetheless. Matsumoto was nearly close to dying, the cuts she received too deep, the blood that left her a large quantity, but fortunately, Orihime had arrived in time to see that Matsumoto was doing all she could to try and wake up her captain.

Rukia was the one who obtained the most wounds out of everyone; even Yoruichi thought it was a miracle that she had continued standing up during that time. Ishida and Chad were fine, though sore due to Unmei's streaks of light. Ichigo on the other hand was brokenhearted, and terrified for what might come next.

The second part of his reiatsu energy loss had come, and he knew once the third one hit, it would be the most painful of the three. _Especially when he knew what the outcome would be. _He stared out his bedroom window, the moon not relaxing him the way it almost always did. He could feel himself shaking just thinking about the last time… _the last time he could use Zangetsu… the last time he could protect anyone…_

Abruptly, he sat up from leaning on his elbow, hearing some kind of commotion going on downstairs. He could faintly hear his father screaming at someone to stop running and that it wouldn't be safe for his two beautiful daughters if some madman was racing in the house. Karin, of course, rebuked to what Ichigo was sure was a hard punch or slap to the face. "Ah, Onii-chan's friend, please don't make a mess!" He heard Yuzu shout. At that automatic moment, his door smashed open, the hinges slightly squealing.

Ichigo trailed his eyes to a smirking blunet, his face of confusion soon morphing into fury. "YOU BASTARD! YOU BROKE MY DOOR!" The orangette leaped to his feet, pushing on the Espada's chest with as much strength as he could muster. "HOW MANY TIMES DID I TELL YOU TO FUCKING KNOCK! IT'S RIDICULOUS HOW RULES DON'T GO THROUGH THAT PEA-BRAIN OF YOURS! AND AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT URAHARA'S RI- mmph…" In less than a second, Ichigo found himself interrupted with his ranting, soft lips adorning his in an innocent peck. Grimmjow leaned back to inspect his work, and indeed, it got him what he solely wanted: a blushing Ichigo. The dumbfounded look was just a bonus.

"Shut. Up." Ichigo only gazed at him with bewilderment, but at the smirk on the arrancar's face, he regained his senses. Well, most of them. He reached for a nearby chair, and without much thinking at all, he threw it towards him. Grimmjow dodged it, causing the wooden chair to fly out of Ichigo's room and down the stairs with a gigantic _boom_. Grimmjow swiftly kicked the door shut, locking the Substitute Shinigami's wrists with his fingers.

"Leggo of me! Leggo- mm…" _This was becoming a daily occurrence, and Ichigo did _not _like it. _He felt the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed, the burly male above him pushing him down with his weight. After being absolutely sure that the Visored would stop thrashing about, Grimmjow freed his lips, the Shinigami resorting to merely glowering than saying anything more.

"Now that you're not flopping about like a bitch—"

"Call me that one more time—"

"We can talk about what you saw with that Fallen Angel." Ichigo's words immediately died in his throat. "Start talkin' or else there'll be lip action."


	12. Chapter 12: Rainbows

**Thank-Yous: **skyglazingMaro**/**Mesutora**/**Teruul**/**thinkbleach**/**Aka-chan57**/**cheshire13**/**Recklessly Impulsive**/**OdditiesofCalamity

* * *

><p>Welcome to the gay community. We have rainbows... also cookies.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 12: Rainbows]**

Ichigo felt as if he were trapped in a vicious criminal's grasp; as if he were playing a role in a non-consensual scene for sex. It wasn't helping how the Espada's eyes were trained onto his, staring into indefinite whirls of cerulean and different specks of blue he couldn't think names of. A maniacal grin swept the arrancar's face, and the Shinigami's panic only escalated. _But he couldn't show his nervousness. He wouldn't._

Gathering gulps of air unobtrusively, he exhaled a sigh, morphing into a poker face to hide his embarrassment. "W-whatever. Do what you want. You've already done stuff to me before. What's the worst you can do to me?" The orangette was glad that he sounded at least a bit confident, but he knew it wouldn't take him very far. After all, he was talking to Grimmjow. The ex-Espada seemed taken aback for a moment, but regained his features of dominance and forcefulness in less than a second.

"Hmph. There are far worse things that can happen, Shinigami…" Grimmjow lowered his voice, the whisper coming out husky and deep by Ichigo's ear. The Substitute Shinigami felt shivers wrack throughout his body, especially his spine, like pellets falling against pins in a rain stick. "… At least to you." His wrists were abruptly anchored upwards, locked in a firm grip that was of the arrancar's.

"L-leggo!" He knew wriggling around was futile, but he couldn't help but try to escape this man's arms. _This felt so wrong…_A cold palm pressed against his lower abdomen, his initial shock coming as a gasp from the chilliness. Goose bumps rose on his arms and legs, his reaction only to shudder at the soothing circles being etched on his skin. _It feels so wrong… because I don't want him to stop…_ His purple shirt was being brushed upwards, the open air sweeping across his expanse of muscle, the coldness of the room tweaking his nipples to hardness, or so he'd like to tell himself.

The hand rested on his right pectoral, as he gritted his teeth. _This wasn't right…_"S-sto—" Fingers circled his perk caramel nipple, his only response that of an incoherent reply. The pad of Grimmjow's thumb rubbed the tip in a vigorous speed, and he couldn't help the painful bite on his lip to swallow the moan he was surely going to produce. _He wasn't going to let him win…_Only then when his mind found resolve was when Grimmjow leaned forward to slide his tongue on his nipple, one hand roaming and exploring its twin. Ichigo felt himself jolt from the warm tongue, in contrast to that of Grimmjow's fingertips which were blocks of ice. He subconsciously arched his back into the male's movements and touches, gasping breaths bubbling from his chest to his lips.

Grimmjow grinned, knowing how the boy was reacting to his touches and nips were driving him insane; being controlled so easily as if he were a puppet being pulled on a few stray strings. It really was amusing; to have the almighty hero of Soul Society choking on his own sounds of approval and false denial. He wondered how his friends would treat the Shinigami if they saw him being caressed like so. That pineapple-headed freak; he could imagine that the male would blush and spout about him being the enemy. Then there was that big-breasted, strawberry blonde. She looked like she'd be into this kind of stuff.

Then there was that midget. He couldn't decide whether she'd rejoice or get angry. He just couldn't figure out what was going through that rabbit-obsessed fanatic. But it's not like he cared about their opinions. He really could care less. His free hand wandered downwards, rising and falling over the plains of the orangette's muscle outlines. He fiddled with the buttons on the Ichigo's skinny jeans, pulling the zipper south and reaching beneath the hem of his underpants to feel the throbbing arousal in his hand.

Ichigo hissed at the frosty contact, and he knew his pride was about to be shattered if he didn't speak up soon. Through all of the sensations he was feeling, he managed to raise his head at least a tiny amount to glare at the Espada through a burning blush. "F-fine… Ah-" He felt a sudden ripple throughout his body spread like wildfire, his head smashing back onto his pillow, his hips jutting out to accommodate the Espada's crafty fingers. "I-I saw you… Through that Fasado- mmph…" He bit at his lip, feeling the life being pumped out of him, his mind swirling, and his thought processes hard to decipher and manage. Sweat accumulated on his upper lip and back, the will to not jolt upwards into that hand causing perspiration to sprout.

Grimmjow was actually surprised the boy still had some fight in him left. The boy looked as if in pain, but he knew better than to think that. He watched enough of situations like this in Hueco Mundo and knew the pleasure coursing through his body was everything evolved hollows craved if not hunger. He really didn't have time for it, and he couldn't care anymore about the sand than about this so-called 'sex.' Apparently certain things were degrading throughout it if administered by the wrong person.

_Certainly it would make the Shinigami feel like a lesser being if…._A plan took root in Grimmjow's brain, as he leaned towards Ichigo's reddened ear, singing with blood, stroking his leaking member as he did so. "Ya know, I'm rarely curious…" Ichigo swerved his head away from the Espada's lips, trying to block out his sinful voice, but he knew that it would reach his eardrums anyway.

Grimmjow wanted to do something that would cause this boy _more_ than embarrassment. He wanted him to feel vulnerable; to be treated as such. "I'm wondering why ya act like everything burns on your skin wherever I touch. Tell me, _Ichigo…_How does it feel?"

"Aaaah-hoh—" Copious amounts of his precum bloomed at his tip, smeared as fast as it easily came. At that moment, Grimmjow knew that the Visored's last thought of disapproval had shattered, and he was more than willing to smash it into even more smaller pieces. He released Ichigo from his clutches, his wrists tinged red from the arrancar's strong grip. Ichigo inhaled tanks of needed air, his dick still standing and dripping. He couldn't finish himself here; he wouldn't let the Espada have the satisfaction of viewing him at his most desperate. He could go to the bathroom, but he doubted he could even stand due to his legs shaking so much.

Abruptly, his ear twitched from the sound of pants being undone, and he was seriously pondering over charging out the door without belted pants. "Oi, Shinigami…" Ichigo swallowed his saliva with great fear, shakes now evident throughout the rest of his body. As much as he'd like to look away, he knew he couldn't from the sight that met him. The arrancar's arousal stuck out in the air, from what he'd estimate was about eight inches. His head filled with images of the first night that Grimmjow took a bath, and the image would not leave his mind. Now that he was definitely seeing it, he felt envious yet… _excited._

"I-I thought you only wanted to know whether I saw you through the Fasado, and I-I-I already told you, so what the hell do you want from me now?" He cursed at himself for stuttering around his words, but ignored it due to the fact that Grimmjow was nearing his figure and emanating definite lust.

"Ya owe me for saving yer life, so put that mouth to good use."

"What the hell! I didn't ask to be saved! I could've handled myself just fine," Ichigo protested.

"But ya didn't, so show some gratitude." Instantly his head was shoved downwards to be confronted by the man's pulsating length. _It looked painful, and gruesome._ He wondered as to how the man had even survived it in this state. He in no way felt sympathy, but he also hated owing people. If Grimmjow hadn't come in time to save him from his descent, he didn't know where he'd be right now. _He sure as hell knew he wouldn't be in this situation._ He didn't want to do this. _He did not. He did not. He did not._But he also knew that if he didn't, Grimmjow would just shove his dick down his throat, and he'd probably just choke to death. Deciding it was now or never, do or die, he separated his lips, latching them onto the tip of the ex-Espada's penis.

He squeezed his eyes shut, imagining anything but Grimmjow's dick. _Anything but his dick._Any_thing._He bobbed his head back and forth, using his hand to pump the expanse of skin that wasn't being swallowed by his mouth. He tasted Grimmjow's small traces of precum, but found himself not revolted by it; in fact, spurred on by it.

Grimmjow was surely enjoying the service, but other than that, he liked that he was able to see this display; this display that was of the Substitute Shinigami who destroyed Aizen, kneeling in front of him to pleasure him. It was quite comical to him, but then there was this undefined feeling in his gut and chest. Watching the Shinigami right now, he could see how the boy was getting into it, opening an eye a tad to stare at his expression, masked with indifference albeit the fact that he was overridden with pleasure.

He wanted to see the orangette bowing down for him, and now that he was doing just that, he found himself not wanting anybody else to see this. _No one's gonna see this. No one but me._He brushed his fingers through soft, apricot strands, gripping him in a firm clasp only to pull him back and forth to speed the pace. Ichigo of course objected to this, his words muffled.

He would've preferred the rate of the sucking he had begun with, but that was near impossible with Grimmjow's hand guiding him. He could've bitten him, but he chose not to. He knew that it would just cause him more havoc later. His jaw was beginning to hurt, but he sat throughout it all, looking upwards at Grimmjow's concentrated eyebrows, and glaring irises. Without preamble, Ichigo was thrown back onto the bed, bouncing as he did.

"Hey! What the—" His lips were immediately ceased by Grimmjow's own, aggressively biting and lashing at his tongue. He clutched onto teal hair, afraid that if he didn't grab onto something, he'd have ceased breathing at all. His jeans were quickly snagged off, leaving him in his shirt, only to be ripped apart. He suddenly felt indentations of fingers at his entrance, and he'd have been quicker to decline any of it, but intrusion had already been made. "Fuck!" he cried. Grimmjow swiftly made handiwork on Ichigo's preparation, having watched many of these with Szayel to know what to do next.

"W-what the hell is this! I-it feels weird, you bastard!" Ichigo pushed against his looming chest, only backing Grimmjow away an inch.

"Dumbass, I'm doing you a favor."

"By sticking your fingers up my ass!" Ichigo gritted his teeth, not believing one second of this. _He had to be in a dream. This couldn't be reality._"D-damn it! Just get them out!"

"If ya don't shut up, those little siblings of yers'll hear ya," Grimmjow jeered, quickening his finger's movements. Ichigo bit his bottom lip, wanting to get out and get off at the same time. _He would kill Grimmjow after this! He would!_"On second thought, maybe I want ya to be heard." The arrancar pulled his fingers from out of the younger male, positioning himself at Ichigo's entry to sheathe himself inside.

"FUCK!" Without waiting for adjustments, Grimmjow drove himself backwards, thrusting back in without relent. "FUCKING—" _It hurt like a bitch. LIKE. A. BITCH._Ichigo clawed at his sheets, his bed rocking back and forth, in tune with Grimmjow's pistons into his body. He was used to pain during battles, but this was something different; it was inflicted inside instead of the outside. He felt hands beneath his knees, hiking them upwards so that his two knees reached his ears. He suddenly jolted when a wave of pleasure swept throughout him, his hips jutting forth to meet the arrancar's plunges.

He didn't know what that was, but he wanted to feel it again. _Over and over again._He fingered the side of his pillow, pulling it over his head to block the view of his blushing face and non-too-gentle moans. The ex-Espada hoisted Ichigo's legs over his shoulders, pummeling into his once-virgin orifice, allowing him far more access to stab his prostate. Not getting the satisfaction of knowing what the boy's face looked like, he snatched the pillow from over his features. Ichigo's honey-brown eyes were half-concealed by his eyelids, his lips parted to swallow the air he was being deprived of, his cheeks flaring crimson.

Ichigo was uttering something beneath his breath, barely audible for Grimmjow to hear, but he caught the desperation for release. "Grimm… jow…" As if Grimmjow hadn't been pounding into his body as fiercely as a jaguar, his speed only accelerated, nearly driving Ichigo over the tip of sanity. _It was too much…_He felt as if he couldn't breathe through all of the sensations occurring throughout his body, especially in his rectum. He heard his headboard banging against his bedroom wall, dust particles collecting at the tips of his hairs.

He reached for his dick, but felt the sting of a slap land upon his hand, and he quickly flicked it back by his side. Through his hazed mind, he was about to begin the questioning, when he felt a freezing palm wrap around him. He hissed and grappled with the sheets beneath him, trying to keep his wits about him, but with Grimmjow's harsh screws, that made it nearly impossible. Lights were blinding him, although his bedroom lights were all off and the night sky was beginning to replace the day.

He realized that his completion was close, but due to the strong stimulations, he practically forgot what was happening with him. "Ah! Mrgh!" He bit onto his lip, scraping the first layer of skin, the taste of copper flooding his taste buds. "SHIT!" he shouted in exhausted euphoria, his penis being milked of its contents, his essence flying at his stomach and chest. His legs abruptly bolted shut, the dynamic thrusting of the arrancar sending signals of pleasure so immense he couldn't allow more of it to be inflicted on his body.

Grimmjow grunted repeatedly, never relenting. He felt this strong urge to keep going; to reach this certain limit. With an animalistic growl, a surge of static electrified every nerve ending in him, flowing into Ichigo, panting and sweating like a common dog. Grimmjow glanced downwards at his actions, and noticed that his fluids had exited Ichigo's ass and onto his bed.

Ichigo attempted to regain his ability to breathe oxygen, but it seemed centuries before he could actually have intakes of air that seemed less life-threatening. And even then, he still couldn't breathe properly. "… What the he—" Yet again, his statement was interrupted with the solidness of a kiss, but this time, more wild than innocent. He found himself responding almost automatically, but caught himself when that once cold hand roamed his sides. He pressed his fingers against the broad chest above him, his arms shaking from the exertion it had on him to push. "Q-quit that! What the hell do you want from me now!"

"You still owe me."

"HOW THE HELL DO I STILL OWE YOU?"

"I planned to punish you, but you had more gain in this than I did." Grimmjow swooped below Ichigo's chin, planting kisses, nips, and bites on certain sensitive spots. The orangette commenced on beating on the man's built shoulders, tempted to kick his legs, but found it petty and petulant.

"THIS WAS ALL YOUR GAIN!"

"All the more reason to fuck you."

Ichigo continued to shove at the domineering man by his chin, trying to gain distance. "GET… AWAY!"

**XLXLXL**

Ichigo flipped onto his side, biting his lip. Sweat collected at his forehead and temples, and it seemed so cold. He reached for a blanket but found none near him. His brows knitted closer and closer as he felt strong arms wrapping around his figure securely. "Oi… Stop moving around…"

"Mmph… TALKING ANTS!" Ichigo bolted upwards from his slumber, a sudden smack on his forehead making itself known. He groaned to himself, palming at his throbbing head.

"What the hell ya yelling for? It's fuckin' early!" The orangette rotated towards the voice, noticing that a red mark was also upon the arrancar's forehead. "And ya fucking hit my head with your dumbass outburst. Go to bed." Grimmjow thwacked the boy back onto the mattress, encircling him with his limbs yet again. He closed his eyes, trying to doze off as nicely as he had before when Ichigo spoke again.

"Sorry; I get that way when I have a horrible experience from the day before." Grimmjow's eyes immediately ceased attempting sleep at the words, his eyes narrowed and emitting blue fire.

"Are ya saying that yesterday was horrible for you?" the arrancar's words spewed like venom, and Ichigo found himself slightly nervous.

"Uh-uh—" Ichigo glanced downwards to size up his situation, and when he found no clothing on both of them, his eyes blew up to twice the size it was before. "W-WHY THE HELL ARE WE NAKED?"

"Heh! I bet ya forgot what we did yesterday because I fucked ya so hard," the Espada gloated. "Che, I'll just do ya again so you can remember!" Grimmjow mounted a wriggling Ichigo, pinning his arms to his sides.

"N-no, I believe you! It was all just a misunderstanding! So jus—"

"GOOD MORNING, MY WONDERFUL SON!" Abruptly his door was shoved apart, smacking onto the wall beside it with a loud bang. His father's froze, being greeted with the sight of a looming, naked Grimmjow above his also very naked child. He clicked the pieces together in his mind, staring for at least three executive minutes with astonishment. Grimmjow gazed at him with nary an expression, while Ichigo sweat dropped from the very wayward position he was in. _Ah, SHIT._

"Uh…."

"… Breakfast is ready, Onii-chan, Grimmjow-san!" Yuzu's perky voice traveled to his upstairs bedroom, and he was more than eager to leave the awkwardness assembling in his room.

"C-comin' Yuzu!" he shouted towards his sibling, quickly taking the chance of Grimmjow's nonexistent attention on him to stand up. He ignored the fact that he was naked since his father was still staring with his dumbfounded expression. He swiftly buttoned his uniform, tucked it into his pants, and tied his shoes in complete silence with the two men almost conversing telepathically. Or at least it seemed so with Ichigo. Isshin gazed at Grimmjow with teary eyes, while the arrancar merely crossed his arms and glared back.

"Ah… Right…" Ichigo muttered under his breath, commencing on his walk towards door of his room when his father suddenly latched onto his arm, crying up a river hysterically.

"ICHIGO! MY ONE AND ONLY SON! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?" Isshin bawled, Grimmjow glancing at him with indifference.

"Get off, Goat-Face! You're wetting my shirt!" The orangette pushed at his idiotic father, the movement barely lessening the hold of Isshin on him.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS MAN TAKE YOUR ONE AND ONLY VIRGINITY? WASN'T RUKIA YOUR BEAUTIFUL SOUL MATE? OR MAYBE ORIHIME! SHE HAD MUCH TO OFFE—"

"Shut up, Old Man! Stop trying to pair me up with my friends!" Ichigo elbowed his father, hearing a thunderous crack from his sudden action. His father collapsed onto the flooring, subdued for at least a small amount of time. The high school student exhaled an irritated sigh, hefting his bag over his shoulder. "Oi, don't just sit there and act innocent! Get dressed! We're going to school!" The teenager pointed at Grimmjow, who looked very much pissed off at the moment.

"I don't hafta—"

**XLXLXL**

"Boy, it sure is taking those three an awfully long time to come downstairs," Yuzu observed, placing the hot pan beneath cold water, as it began to sizzle. Karin just sipped from her mug of coffee, reading a newspaper for any shocking news.

"Oyaji probably caught those two at it again," Karin stated. Yuzu slapped her palms against the table, eyes wide and ready for interrogation.

"What do you mean 'at it again,' Karin?" Her twin just glanced up at her then sighed, shaking her head from side to side.

"Yuzu, you never learn."

"Oh, I'm starved! What'd ya make this morning, Yuzu?" Ichigo's voice echoed down the hall, as he finally emerged into the dining room, taking a seat as gently as he could. Karin was attentive enough to see the light wince he'd made when he sat himself down. Karin and Yuzu stared with suspicioun, the silence whirling around the usually bright dining room. "Ah… Right. I'll just eat." He took hold of his two chopsticks, ready to dive into the food when Karin's monotonous voice interrupted him.

"So you fucked with the foreigner. Nice one, Ichi-nii."

"DON'T USE—"

"Oh, okay then. How about 'had sex with?' Is that innocent enough for you, Ichi-nii?" Karin glimpsed at him through a sly smirk, her arms crossed. The eldest sibling gaped at the two with disbelief, his mouth hanging low. Yuzu gazed at him with an "oh my" expression plastered on her face, while the other sister smiled with maliciousness.

"O-Onii-chan, it's okay to be gay. We accept you the—"

"I'M NOT GAY!" The Substitute Shinigami pulled at his spiky strands of hair, the insanity of the morning seeping into his system. "Nothing happened between me and Grimmjow!"

"THEN WHAT WERE YOU ABOUT TO DO WHEN I CAME UPSTAIRS?" his father boomed by his ear, tears still rolling down his face.

"HAH? N-nothing!" he stammered.

"I saw it all with my own eyes!" the senior Kurosaki pouted and wailed, waddling over to the humongous picture of his mother. "MASAKI! OUR ONLY SON, ICHIGO, HAS THE HOTS FOR—"

"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT GAY!" Ichigo was quick to object.

"Hey, why the hell is it so loud down here?" The focus of the family steered over to the ex-Espada stepping down from the stairs, scratching at a spot on the nape of his neck. "Che, humans…" he grumbled whilst sitting down to chomp on his breakfast. Karin stared at the evident black eye the arrancar was sporting, and grinned evilly.

"Ichi-nii, got a little violent from last night?"

"I TOLD YOU, NOTHING HAPPENED!"

**XLXLXL**

The Substitute Shinigami walked alongside a frowning arrancar, fuming as he did so. He tried to contain his anger, but he was sure he was radiating a horrific energy right now. He was never great at controlling his reiatsu after all. "Hey, keep that spiritual energy of yours to a minimum. I don't want fucking hollows showing up today just because your ass hurts."

"That's no thanks to you!" Ichigo bellowed, wrapping his fingers around a patch of the Espada's shirt. "Now my family thinks I'm gay!" The orangette gripped at his hair, feeling his head heat up at the remembrance of the night before.

"What the hell is 'gay,' anyway?" Grimmjow questioned, staring at the flustered teenager with boredom. As if electrocuted, Ichigo leaped away from the ex-Espada, realizing how close they were.

"It-it's about men liking… other men…" Ichigo trailed off, driving his focus to the left of him to avoid Grimmjow's gaze. Ichigo expected that the male would smirk and try to bribe him, but he was shocked to find that Grimmjow was absolutely calm and had no 'rape' smile on his lips.

"Men, women, hollow, Shinigami, I really see no difference to who someone could like. I hate them all anyway." The blunet stuffed his hands into his pant-pockets, commencing on his walk towards the school.

"Ugh, you don't understand what it is, but whatever." The Shinigami massaged at his forehead, following along behind him.

"If it has nothing to do with fighting, then I don't have to," Grimmjow countered, while the younger man exhaled an irritated breath. It didn't take them long to arrive at the gates, ambushed by Ichigo's closest friends at school.

"ICHIIIIIIGOOOO!" The brunet flew at the Shinigami's form, said Shinigami evading his attack. Ichigo scratched at his hair, not even acknowledging a broken-boned Keigo on the ground. "Ichigo, how could you! Why would you dodge me when you knew I was coming?" Keigo cried, stomping on his foot.

"Shut up, Keigo."

"OOOOH!" the teenager exclaimed, recognizing that the foreign exchange student was right beside Ichigo, gazing at him with obvious distrust. "Why do you two always come to school together? And why do you guys seem so close, already? NOO! Ichigo, you can't be—" Ichigo threw his fist forward to crash against Keigo's mouth before the terrible word could come out.

"I said shut up." Ichigo felt a vein throb on his cheek, the grip on his bag placed over his shoulder tightening.

"Actually, Ichigo, you do seem like you're glowing today," Mizuiro observed, rubbing at his chin.

"H-h-hah? What the hell are you talkin' about, Mizuiro?" His shorter friend glanced upwards at him with calmness, shrugging his shoulders.

"There's a notion that if someone has sex, they look healthier," Mizuiro smiled innocently, while Ichigo blinked rapidly to steer his thoughts away from anything inappropriate.

"Aah, whatever; I'm going to class." With that, the young Shinigami traipsed on, leaving behind a sobbing Keigo rolling on the ground and a baffled Mizuiro.

**XLXLXL**

The Strawberry had had enough of everyone accusing him of 'glowing.' _He fucking wasn't._He was everything _but_glowing. He steered his attention outside the window, hoping to get some hollow action today, but it seemed unusually quiet. He was beginning to grow suspicious, but he didn't think much of it. _He was sure it didn't have anything to do with the Fallen Angels…_ Or at least he hoped it didn't. _They had the Ishi o Borroku with them, so they couldn't possibly attract hollo-_

Abruptly, his thought processes were diminished when a crumbled piece of paper landed on his desk. _Again with the notes?_He prayed that the situation of last time wouldn't repeat itself. He ignored the note, but felt strong glares at the back of his head, which was then followed by a kick at his leg. Ichigo growled. He narrowed his eyes at Grimmjow, who was glowering at him. Knowing that if he didn't comply, he'd just get them into more trouble, so he unruffled the piece of paper.

_Bathroom. Now._

Praying really didn't help him much at all.


	13. Chapter 13: Respect

**Thank-Yous: **cheshire13**/**A Serendipity**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**skyglazingMaro**/**DevilishBea**/**Mayuzu**/**thinkbleach**/**Aka-chan57

* * *

><p>Ditty for Daddy.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 13: Respect]**

The incessant screams from the transforming Pure was giving him a headache, and he would've slit the throat of the soul if it weren't for the fact that their leader was leading the operations. "Hmph, was this your kill, Satsugai?" Suru, the stuck-up queen of bastards piped up from the opposite wall from where he leaned. Satsugai stood a few feet from where he stood to his right, a cocky grin on his lips.

"Of course it was. Who else would it be?" the boy questioned proudly. Sengoku swallowed the urge of rolling his eyes down. _He fucking hated them all._But he knew every single one of them had to be here so anything from the outside couldn't deter the transformation of the Pure. Light emanated from the separate room where their master and his second-in-command, Chujit, resided, seeing to the metamorphosis and pulling all the strings.

"Your kill is a noisy one. Couldn't you have picked someone far less weak?" Suru flicked a navy-blue strand of hair behind him, inspecting his nails.

"Che, how the hell was I supposed to know that this one wasn't quiet?" Satsugai scratched behind his ear in frustration, the feminine male's demands already causing him stress. "Once the creatio is completed, that fucking Pure will be nothing but silent."

"One could only hope," Suru spoke with mock upbringing.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the onyx-haired youngling spat, his words like venom.

"Take it however you want it. I was merely talking to myself." Before the two could battle it out in front of the Creatura Locus, a squealing of a door's hinges interrupted them and each head of the room turned to see a new member of their army group. Smoke oozed from the confines of the room, easing away from the unfamiliar face; a deformed face of a once-human, body that of a hybrid between a skeleton of sorts and a praying mantis.

They could all care less about the newcomer; they were merely trying to catch a glimpse of their so-called leader. The stoics of the Tenshi no Namida tried with all their might to look away for they thought it was immature, but of course, even their curiosity got the best of them. None of them had ever seen their master, the only exception Chujit. But of course, Chujit would shut the door before any of their peering eyes could detect him.

"What is your name, soldier?" the silver-stranded second-leader questioned with coolness in his mismatching eyes. The disfigured being brought his face upwards, showcasing his facial features to his new comrades.

"Perditrix."

**XLXLXL**

_His. Ass. Hurt._In fact, every limb ached and groaned in his body. _That stupid, perverted Grimmjow… Taking advantage of his body…_Not to mention the fact that everyone in his family looked at him differently now. Karin would have this ominous expression on her face, a smug grin wedged on her lips, while Yuzu would blush and smile politely. His father… Well… A 180 degree turn. Each time he readied himself for school in the morning, his old man would burst into his room via wall, window or the less unusual, the door, to visualize their _morning activity,_as he had put it. _Wait, he might've stayed the same; just maybe a bit more insane._

He and Grimmjow had nothing going on. _NOTHING._He shook his head to clear his thoughts, inhaling and exhaling puffs of air. Urahara had taken the pesky arrancar to the Urahara Shoten to teach him stuff Ichigo would rather not know about, and the Substitute Shinigami decided to use the day as relaxation. He sat upon his desk, facing a monitor, using his mouse to click at any invading alien coming for his fortress.

It was a kiddy game, yes, but he had nothing better to do. No homework had been lent to him from over the week, and there were no tests to study for. Besides, it wasn't like he had email to check and people to chat with online. Not like he'd be desperate enough to do that in the first place. So he turned to games. He figured it would take his mind off things, but the violence in the game was merely bringing him back to past battles.

He breezed through the categories of different games, choosing to play a racing flash game instead. He watched the countdown on the screen from four to one, and he readied himself by pressing his fingertips on the arrow keys. A sound of a gunshot rang out throughout the scenery of the game, and his car was zooming past many. He happily rejoiced inside at the fact that he was right behind the first car, but of course, he didn't show that excitement outward.

He repeatedly jammed his left thumb on the space bar to accelerate his speed, his right index finger pressing downwards on the up-arrow key. Just as he was bending a curve, and about to surpass the car, he heard his window shoved to the side, rather aggressively, and felt wind nicking at the back of his neck.

Shivers pattered down his spine, his hairs standing on end, and a jump bouncing him on his seat. A frown marred his face, as he ignored the familiar intruder and rammed his digits against the appointed keys. He focused on his game solely, not wanting to partake in one of the man's other fantasies yet again. Sweat trickled down his templeand accumulated in his armpits, though he couldn't pick between the reason that it was because of the rapid clicking he was doing, or the fact that the man looming above his head was exuding way too much testosterone.

"Oi, Shinigami, what're ya playing?" He heard a deep voice against his ear, and his head suddenly felt heated and irritated. It only spurred on events of the past week in his head; the humongous and embarrassing sounds that left his mouth, the domineering nature Grimmjow let live, and the movements…_Ah, Ichigo! Stop thinking disgusting thoughts!_He continued to play the game, his frown deepening by the second. _Ignore him… Ignore him… Ignore him…_"'Ey, Soul Reaper, I said what'cha playing?" _Ignore him… Ignore him…_

Having enough of not being acknowledged, Grimmjow kicked the boy from his seat, as he stumbled and fell off of his chair. "What the hell, Grimmjow! Why'd you do that, you bastard!" The arrancar glared at him, merely taking the wheelie chair in his palm and whirling it around so he could sit on it. The game flashed "GAME OVER" as the Visored fumed inside and out. _He was so close!_

"What do ya do in this game? It seems stupid," Grimmjow informed uninterestedly, leaning his head on his hand.

"Then don't play it, idiot!" But through his taunts and cries, the ex-Espada played onwards, excitement not present in his cerulean eyes. As if in slow motion, a smirk began to take place on the hollow's lips, Ichigo soon realizing that today was not going to be his relaxation day.

"Hey, I'm horny." Ichigo's eyes boosted in size, and he only inched backwards, trapped by his closet door.

"S-so what? Why the hell would I care?" When Grimmjow peered at him through the corners of his eyes, Ichigo felt as if his air supply had been outlawed to enter his system.

"Oi, let's play a game," Grimmjow suggested, rotating his chair slightly to face him.

"No way. I'm not going to play any of your sick games," Ichigo immediately denied, spinning his head another direction to avoid complete eye-contact.

"Ya know what? We don't have to play a game; I'll just take ya as ya are." The Strawberry heard the older male stand to his feet, and he was ready to object to it with hands raised to fend him off.

"All right! All right! Let's play a game!"

The sixth Espada smiled mile-wide, situating himself back down. "Let's do this human contraption, or whatever the hell you want to call it. Whoever loses has ta do whatever the winner wants."

"For how long?" he asked wearily.

"A week."

"What! That's too long!" Ichigo protested heatedly.

"Ya sayin' that 'cause ya know I'm gonna win?"

"Hell no! I just think you're getting ahead of yourself!"

"Hmph, we'll see about that." After much hassle over taking the mouse in his hand to select two-player mode, the arrancar and Shinigami were finally facing each other on the game that would prove their sportsmanship. Though Ichigo knew neither of them had that in them. The screen displayed the same countdown yet again, their cars split apart with a thick, black line. A gunshot alerted them both, and cars sped forth. Ichigo pressed on his keys vigorously and roughly, the only thing stuck in his mind winning. _He couldn't let this bastard win! He wouldn't!_

Just as he neared the finish line, his car was smashed to the side, and he exploded, leaving the victory to the one and only fear he didn't want to encounter. He stared at the game, while Grimmjow grinned evilly at him. "I. Win." Deep whispers brushed against his ear. He turned his face robotically towards the _winner_and he nearly hurled from the nervousness. Abruptly, he felt himself man-handled to the floor, his arms shooting forth to push against a chest.

"H-hey! Stop it, bastard!" His arms were yanked upwards, locked in a firm grip, Grimmjow's hand wandering beneath his shirt, the coldness of those fingers making him shudder in delight, though he tried to deny his thoughts. "Y-you cheated! You crashed into my car!" Ichigo fumbled about like fish out of water, the pattern of their _adventures_replaying in his room yet again, but this time, on the hard-wood floor.

"I don't give a fuck. I won, and yer gonna be _mine_ this whole week, so you better get used to it…" Grimmjow's face inched closer to his, their lips mere centimeters apart. "… Ichigo…" he breathed against his lips rather seductively, connecting them at last, Ichigo's breath whipped from right out of him. He felt himself respond almost instantly, curving his head to accommodate the man's lead, and allowing access for that tongue. Hips ground against his, and he hummed into that delicious, exploring tongue. His breathing was growing abnormal, as he attempted to do it though his nose, but he was finding it difficult.

Fingers led upwards to tweak his already hardening nipples, his back arching into the touch. "L-leggo… of me…" he tried to word out through their searing lip-to-lip. Grimmjow only smirked, lowering his head towards his open neck, licking any remnants of sweat there. He released the boy from his clutches, knowing that couldn't get away from his hold now. _Knew that the boy wouldn't. _"Mmph…" Ichigo tried to stifle his moan.

Grimmjow rubbed them together through their pants, bringing out a tiny sound of approval from the orange-head. He licked a nipple, gripping it between his teeth. Ichigo released a shaky breath in reaction. The arrancar knew that by now the Shinigami's walls were smashed, and his stubbornness would be more subdued. The boy was part human after all, and all humans gave in to pleasure sooner or later.

He dipped his tongue into his belly-button, the muscles there contracting-

"ICHIGO!"

The window was pushed carelessly aside, allowing the breeze to stroll in. Grimmjow and Ichigo froze from the outburst, the Shinigami feeling a chill slide down his spine. _He knew that voice._As he turned his head and saw the disturber, seconds passed before his reaction could kick in. He pushed the Espada away from him, as he crawled to the farthest corner.

The petite, ebony-haired female stared at the both of them with perplexity, eyes as huge as saucers. "I-it's not what you think, Rukia…" Ichigo tried to lie. Said female only shook her head to ward off the image, and crossed her arms.

"Whatever you were up to, it's none of my business. I just came here to inform you of something."

"W-what the hell is it this time?" Ichigo crossed his arms, his face still smeared with red.

"Urahara wanted to call us in; I don't know the reason, but it seemed pretty urgent." The younger Kuchiki remembered all too well the ominous expression the man wore; she couldn't see his eyes, but she knew it held a heavy truth. "It'd be best if we went immediately." Ichigo searched her face for the immensity of it all, and seeing how she looked so worried about the situation, he nodded his head in earnest agreement.

**XLXLXL**

_Water._That was the first thing he noticed. Then there was a bar stand, designed with Hawaiian décor. And then there were _hula skirts._Ichigo felt his eyebrow twitch at the sight. "Whoo!" He heard a shout of glee in his periphery then saw a flash of red hurtling down a slide and into a pool seemingly dug into the ground.

"R-Renji?" Ichigo asked with wonder and dismay.

"Ah! Kurosaki-san, you're here! Oh, I see Grimm-kun is with you, too!" The young Shinigami turned his head towards the sound of the familiar voice. Urahara welcomed the two with open arms, his usual hat on and in place, while his attire was that of a casual button-up with exotic flowers printed on it.

"W-what the hell happened to the training grounds?" Ichigo questioned with slight irritation.

"Hmm?" Urahara replied with a smile.

"E-eh, n-never mind." The Substitute Shinigami decided to just give it up. Ururu probably carved the holes in this place for the pools, while Urahara and the others hauled the items in. "Anyway, what's this for?" He regained his posture, straightening himself.

"I figured everyone could use a break. The beach is too crowded for all of us, and I'm sure if we all went, all of our spiritual pressure combined would affect everyone else," Urahara pointed out, pointing skywards, as if in eureka.

"It's spring," Ichigo couldn't help saying, scratching at his hair.

"Ah, I realize that, but what's the use in waiting for it? Summer is right around the corner, and I figured today would be convenient."

"Eh?" Ichigo's eyebrows shot upwards in puzzlement.

"Today we celebrate Kurosaki-san and Grimm-kun's day of camaraderie!" Urahara announced joyfully. Ichigo and Grimmjow stared in disbelief, silence alternating between the three men.

"Don't just make up stupid holidays!" the orange-top bellowed to break the silence, elbowing the man square in the face. Urahara yelped in shock and pain, falling onto his knees and massaging his nose. "Hmph," Ichigo fumed, blowing out a frustrated breath.

"A-ah, I didn't expect the elbow…" he muttered to himself.

"Ah, Ichigo! You're here!" A blur of purple hair appeared in front of him, and there was Yoruichi, clad only in a bikini, too revealing for his tastes. Ichigo steered his attention elsewhere, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Y-Yoruichi-san…"

"Here, put this on! Oh, and here's some for you too, Grimmjow." Clothes were handed to the both of them, both males scanning the garments in their hands.

"What the fuck's this for?" Grimmjow rudely asked.

"What the- I'm not wearing this!" Ichigo unfolded one of the items, a square cut bathing suit dangling from his fingertips.

"Well you can't swim in that. Or do you want to swim naked?" Yoruichi leaned in a bit too close, hands on her hips and a sly smirk on her mouth.

"W-whatever; it's not like I wanna swim in here anyway." Just as he turned to leave, he heard his name being called out.

"Kurosaki-kun!" He rotated to face the feminine voice, making out a hand waving at him vigorously a few feet away near one of the slides. The cantaloupe-haired teen jogged towards him with a two-piece, nearly running out of breath just from that. "Are you going to spend time in the pool?"

"Uh, no, I'd rather stay home," Ichigo began, remembering the bathing suit, and peering downwards to see it was still in his hand. He inconspicuously hid it behind his back.

"Come on, Ichigo. Liven up." Rukia appeared beside him, her arms intersected with a grin gracing her pale face. "If you keep yourself holed up all the time, you'll be an old man before you know it."

"Shut up. I don't have to take that from you. Besides, I have other stuff to do." Ichigo itched at his nose, knowing full well that he absolutely had _nothing _else to do.

"Hoooo?" Rukia inquired, a conniving smirk replacing the nonthreatening one she had before. Ichigo gritted his teeth. "_What_other stuff, Ichigo? Like the stuff I saw you doing when I barged into your room?" Orihime cocked her head to the side in wondering, her innocent mind surely not conjuring up any of the images running through Rukia's brain.

"F-fine. I'll fucking stay, though I won't like it."

"That's the spirit!" Yoruichi threw him a thumbs-up, while he only sighed in defeat.

"Oi." The Visored glanced behind him at that rumble of a voice, and he nearly choked on his own air. Grimmjow stood in what seemed to be sparkles, his hair and muscles glistening, and only wearing swimming trunks. Ichigo shook his head in exasperation. "What the hell am I supposed to do now? Do I just jump into that 'pool' or whatever you call it and shit?"

"I-I don't know. Do whatever the hell you want." Grimmjow's eyebrows seemed to only go deeper, when it eased and he smirked, his canines being displayed.

"Hmph, fine." With a few strides, the ex-Espada stood in front of the Substitute Shinigami, pulling him by the V-neck to crash their lips in a quick union. But not quick enough to not be noticed by the other people surrounding them. Yet again, Ichigo was caught off-guard, relating it to the first time Grimmjow had touched his lips with his own in front of his high school friends… But now… It was in front of _everyone._ Shinigami _and_non-Shinigami. "Hope you don't get too wet…" Ichigo blushed even harder at the implication, but immediately felt a palm colliding with his chest as he lost his balance and fell with a splash.

He was submerged underwater, having no clue to what had just occurred, but when the loss of air finally dawned on him, he swam upwards with forceful paddles. "Grimm… jow!" He spat out water from his lips, wiping some out of his eyes. "Fuck you, Grimmjow!" Once his eyes were clear, he noticed that nobody had spoken and everyone's eyes were still trained on him. Each person, save for Rukia, was astonished beyond belief, and Ichigo only felt his embarrassment escalate.

"Kurosaki… kun?" Inoue voiced asked in bafflement, his friends' attention nearly making him suffocate.

"W-what the hell are all of you staring at? You guys act like you've never seen a kiss before."

"We're staring because most of us haven't seen _two men _kiss like that," Ishida informed, pushing his glasses upwards.

"The hell you have! You've seen him kiss me at the school gates!"

The Quincy cleared his throat, remembrance of that day causing fire to erupt in his cheeks. "All the more reason to be suspicious."

"Hoh? You guys have kissed before? How come I was never informed? I wonder what else you guys have done behind our backs," Yoruichi teased, winking at the Strawberry.

"Shut the hell up, Yoruichi!"

"He's not denying it?" Sado spoke beneath his breath.

"You too, Chad?"

"Aww, lay Kurosaki-san some slack. Boys his age are prone to experimentation!" Urahara elucidated, waving his fan beneath his chin.

"Hehehe! Ichigo's a faggot!" The so-called _faggot_of course heard the statement, and whirled around in the water to glower at a guffawing Pineapple.

"Shut the hell up, Renji, or I'll shove my fist up your ass!" Ichigo warned with a wave of his fist for good measure, the lieutenant only chortling even louder than before. The Substitute Shinigami felt his cheeks sting with anger and humiliation combined.

"Oh, but I find it cute. Boy love is so adorable! Wouldn't you agree, Taichou?" Matsumoto piped up by the bar stand, a sake bottle in one hand.

Her captain's eyebrow twitched in response, his arms crossed and slightly quivering. "I knew I shouldn't have come, today…" he mumbled to himself heatedly.

"Ichigo, what's the big deal? Homosexual or not, it won't change who you are," Rukia beamed at him.

"I'm not fucking gay, so drop it! And stop smiling at me like that!"

"Stop smiling like what?" the elfin Kuchiki questioned innocently. The teenager felt his eyebrow move animatedly, pounding a fist into the water as he climbed out of the pool.

"_You_…" he seethed, the ex-Espada staring at him with indifference. "I'm going to fucki—"

"Oi, the bet's still on. I could tell ya to suck me off right now, so you should be grateful I haven't." Grimmjow smirked at the fuming Strawberry, liking how his fury pointed at him. After all, he was the one to cause such a reaction from all of his friends.

"_Grateful_? You expect me to be grateful?" Ichigo felt a vein pop in his right cheek, glaring daggers at the man with great loathsome. "Even if you did tell me to do something, it's not like I'd fucking do it!"

"Heh; it doesn't mean _I_ won't." Grimmjow leered at the recoiling orange-top, said orange-top knowing full well that the arrancar could possibly do whatever he wanted right then and there.

"W-whatever; I'm going home," Ichigo announced, beginning to take the steps towards the ladder, when he felt an arm wrap around his neck. "Hey! Leggo!"

"Nah; I think I wanna see yer interesting faces," the Hollow mocked, pulling the Soul Reaper further into the training grounds. "Besides, I'm commandin' ya to stay."

"The hell I'm gonna stay!" Ichigo fought to break loose, but it proved to be in vain, only causing him to cough up a storm from the immense hold.

"Quit whining. It's giving me a headache."

"I'll stop whining when you let me go!"

"Not a chance."

**XLXLXL**

Despite his better judgment, Ichigo enjoyed himself at the Urahara Shoten. Although Grimmjow kept pestering him, stealing kisses every now and then, everyone just got used to it, the only exception Ichigo. He wondered why the arrancar always kissed him in public. Most likely so that he would feel embarrassed. The man had done it so many times he wondered how he was still not adapted to it. They walked alongside each other, the sun setting in the horizon as they headed home.

He stretched an arm behind his back, letting a breath escape. As he stared at the red-orange sky, his thoughts went rampant. He thought of the days when the Espada attempted to kill him each time they ever encountered, and now, they were so carefree around each other. And now that he thought about it, almost all of his friends started out as enemies. He mused over what could've possibly changed with the arrancar. There was the fact the he didn't want to kill him anymore, or maybe he was just suppressing it for now.

_But what else?_Something still seemed out of place. _Maybe it was because of…_ "Ah, Grimmjow." The ex-Espada swerved his head to the side, fingers in his jean pockets. "I got a question for you."

"What the hell do you want?"

"Will you just hear me out for a second?" Ichigo sighed in exasperation, the hollow halting in his tracks with him. "How come you haven't been out to get me? Back then, you were so determined to defeat me…"

"Are ya sayin' you want me ta try to kill you?" Grimmjow smirked.

"You know what I mean. You've had a lot of chances, but you haven't made a single move…" Ichigo gazed at the painted road beneath his feet, a soft wind lifting his tresses. "And if you tried to right now, there would be nothing to stop you. My guard is down, and my badge isn't with me."

_Not to mention the fact that his powers were…_

Grimmjow was able to catch the slight change of expression, the Soul Reaper's eyes going from interrogative to morose. "Idiot. Wipe that look off your face; it's pathetic." Ichigo jolted from what was his sudden trance, following after the Espada's speeding footsteps towards his house.

"S-shut up. My face is always like this," the Visored corrected, stuffing his palms into his hoody's jacket.

"… Oi…" The teal-haired man ceased traipsing yet again, his back to Ichigo. "I ain't killed ya yet 'cause you haven't seen my ultimate power. But when you do… you better be ready, 'cause I ain't holding nothin' back." A breeze whipped between their bodies, quietness seeping into their ears.

"...I will be."

_Seemed Grimmjow hadn't changed at all._

**XLXLXL**

"ICHIGO! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, MY ONCE-VIRGINAL SON?" The younger Kurosaki swiftly evaded the attack, his father slamming against the closed door behind him. Isshin slid down the door, collapsing on the ground as he held his nose. "G-great dodge, my son. But you won't be able to… DODGE THIS ONE!" His dad hurled himself at the orange-haired boy once more, but this time, a muscled fist smacked his face. Isshin stood there frozen, then finally dropped onto the floor with a bleeding lip.

"Otou-san!" Yuzu cried, shaking her father's arm. Grimmjow glanced at the older male lying in a heap, not sorry at all for punching his face.

"I'm going to bed," he proclaimed, turning towards the stairs without another glimpse backwards as he ascended. The teenager sighed from the stress of the day, Goat-Face only adding onto it. As he twisted around to join the arrancar, he heard his dad attempting to stand up with a few grunts here and there.

"Ichigo, I actually have something to talk about with you. Mind coming into the kitchen?" The Substitute Shinigami spun around to meet his father's eyes, seeing that all of his goofiness was gone, and lecture was clearly etched to replace it.

"Sure, Oyaji."

After sitting down with a cup of tea provided by Yuzu, the two males sipped from their drinks, doing nothing but alternate stillness. "What did you need to talk about, Oyaji?" Ichigo knew when his father meant business, and he recognized the times that he shouldn't be speaking to his father like a lowly child.

"Your friend seems like a fine man; very strong." Isshin clasped his fingers together, balancing his elbows on the table, and his chin on the back of his palms.

"Yeah, what about him?"

"I have nothing against who you choose; in fact, I support you." The senior Kurosaki closed his eyes in comprehension. "I _am_a little disappointed that you sacrificed your virginity so early, but I know that I can't control that." Ichigo glanced downwards at his reflection in the tea, slightly ashamed.

"Can we… not talk about that? Now what's the real reason?" Ichigo kept his sweaty palms hidden beneath the table, his brows close to touching.

Isshin remained silent for a while, but soon spoke, his expression hard to discern between a warning or a speculation of events. "They're after him." Ichigo's eyes widened from the accurateness of his father's words, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. It wasn't a question; it was a _statement._"Do you know why?" Ichigo remained unmoving. "Because he's one of the remaining Espada."

**XLXLXL**

_Something was lurking in the dark. He just knew it._Toshiro leaped across buildings, searching the night for any sign of enemies. He saw something unusual while sitting on the roof of Inoue's house, yet he couldn't feel any spiritual pressure from the image he caught sight of. _It could only be one thing…_

As if he stepped upon hot lava, he leaped upwards in the air, having felt a rushing weapon coming at him. He whipped his eyes towards the offender, his pupils fixating on an individual of strange sorts; _a creature seemingly fused with a human and the skeleton of a praying mantis._"Well, you're sure experienced, I'll give you that." Toshiro stiffened at the recognizable voice, spinning around to meet the villain.

"_Teo Satsugai_…" he snarled.

"Heh, I'm impressed. You actually remembered my name," the Fallen Angel taunted. "But enough chit-chat. I didn't come here to fight you, but in case you refused, I brought my good friend, Perditrix, with me for back-up."

"What do you want?"

Teo smiled. "… The Espada."

**XLXLXL**

"What the hell would they want from Grimmjow?" Ichigo questioned, pointing his stare at the table.

"Whatever the reason is, we have to make sure that he will be safe. You being near him will ensure he's protected." The Substitute Shinigami frowned at that. _He couldn't protect him the first time… How could he now?_ But he still nodded his head in understanding, his father standing to his feet to pat his shoulder. "I know you'll do anything to protect what you think is right."

Ichigo stayed immobile, even glimpsing at his reflection stabbing him somewhere inside. "But enough of this melancholy atmosphere! REMEMBER TO ALWAYS USE PROTECTION AN—" Before any mortifying vocabulary could escape his old man's mouth, he jabbed his knuckles against the male's lips, effectively quieting him.

"Shut. Up." And with no more to say, he climbed upstairs with a sobbing father behind him. He noticed a deformed lump beneath the blanket, and heard slight breathing, containing the grin that was about to appear within him. As he extracted his shirt, he heard a sudden beeping somewhere. He instantly began to hunt for it, not wanting to disturb the burly man's sleep. _Lord knew what would happen if he woke up._

He followed the continuous sound, leading him onto a pile of laundry. He dug through his newly-washed clothes, shifting the garments aside when he found the blue watch Urahara had given him weeks ago. Once he found it, he stared at the beeping watch in wonder. A realization finally hit him. The purpose of why it was alerting him.

One of his comrades had contacted him through the device… _because a Fallen Angel was nearby._

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><p><strong>Question Corner: <strong>

**1.**_ What the hell is Perditrix?: _**The weird skeleton/praying mantis thing, Perditrix- he looks like Rem from Death Note. I did it on purpose so you guys could envision it better. As for why they look so creepy, I can't answer that quite yet. **

**2.** _The watch?: _**T****he Shigunaringu Tokei- Urahara had given these watches in Chapter 7. He had only given it to a select few people, and those were all the people in the party.**

**3. **_What's the point of the party?: _**That will be answered in the next chapter.**

**4. **_Why do the fallen angels want Grimmjow? Mayuri's device- what's up with that? ALL THESE QUESTIONS- ANSWER THEM, WOMAN:_ **All will be answered in due time.**


	14. Chapter 14: Losing You

**Thank-Yous: **Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Recklessly Impulsive**/**HazelGrey**/**skyglazingMaro**/**DevilishBea**/**Aka-chan57**/**thinkbleach

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><p>Losing you would be like losing myself.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 14: Losing You]**

The watch still beeped uncontrollably in his hand. He didn't know the exact location, but from the faint reiatsu he was feeling, he was sure one of the Tenshi no Namida had arrived and was most likely battling a Shinigami. If he was correct, it was Toshiro. The watch continuously vibrated and rang in his hand, only increasing his leaps across buildings even more.

Luckily, street lamps were posted every two buildings he jumped onto so he could see clearly. Thanks to the clouds shrouding the moon's luminescence, he had to depend on the lights that weren't as bright. Clutching the watch closer to him, he flew upwards at a higher rooftop, staying to search with his eyes to catch a breath.

The city looked normal from where he stood, although something grim was telling him that it was the complete opposite. He looked at the Shigunaringu Tokei, his brows inching together to form a frown. _If the Fallen Angels were here again, that meant their objective was still the same…_

_Grimmjow…_

He had left his room as quietly as possible, patting his Substitute Shinigami badge on his chest to release him from his body. He situated the empty shell beside the arrancar, and as he had expected, the burly male turned over to wrap his arms around his body. He would've been pissed at the fact that the man had swiftly turned to just cuddle with him like a routine, but the moment wasn't calling for that. He had exited his room through is window, and with one last glance back, used his shunpo to land himself on a particular building.

He hoped Grimmjow wouldn't wake up. Although the man wasn't bright most of the time, he knew that if opened his eyes right this moment, he would notice the decrease of his reiatsu, or the lack thereof. His fingers tightened around the incessantly ringing watch, his eyebrows connecting to create furious determination.

_He wasn't going to hand Grimmjow over so easily…_

Abruptly, his eyes dilated, his automatic reaction to a whooshing weapon aimed for his back to block with Zangetsu. When his eyes fell upon his opponent, he was yet again astonished to what he found. There stood a sort of hollow with the face of a man he didn't recognize. As if an experiment gone wrong. Bones made up almost every limb and inch of the creature, making up that of a mantis skeleton structure.

It was terrifying to behold, but he wasn't given time to muse over it more when the creature recoiled only to strike back. Now that Ichigo was paying attention, the weapon it was using was its own hand, shaped to a definite point at the tip, as if a scythe as an arm. Sparks flew as their weapons met again, only this time it was louder.

Ichigo pushed as hard as he could, but this strange man was difficult to fend off. Having enough of the tiring clash, Ichigo shoved with all his might against the skeleton-like creature, said creature flying off a few feet. The orangette panted heavily, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "W-who… Who the hell are you?" he asked with command in his tone.

The creature merely glanced downwards at its bony chest, blood seeping from the cut Ichigo totaled him. The unusual man brought his head upwards to gaze at Ichigo through his purple tentacle-like hair. "… I was ordered to kill Kurosaki Ichigo."

**XLXLXL**

"Haah!" Toshiro mustered all the strength he could gather in his arms, brought upwards only to rush back downwards at his enemy. Satsugai immediately dodged it by trapping the zanpaktou beneath his ax. Toshiro's turquoise eyes widened, remembrance of their past fight reminding him what the male was capable of. Without a second thought, the 10th squad's captain pulled with all his might, and was then released from the lock of Satsugai's ax.

His breaths were labored, eyes trained on the one thing he wanted gone from his sight. He had been jabbing his swords at any open chance he got, but yet the Tenshi no Namida evaded each one with flying colors. Satsugai barely looked like he was breaking a sweat, while on the other hand, he was perspiring bullets on his temples, armpits and behind his knees.

"What's with that face, _Taichou_?" Toshiro narrowed his eyes, detecting mockery clearly. "Why do you look so tense? Has something finally sunk in?" With no response to his question, Satsugai shook his head from left to right, a conniving smile gracing his lips. "Aren't you a captain? If you are, you should be using at least your Bankai on me. Why haven't you?" Toshiro gritted his teeth at the comment, his grip around Hyourinmaru growing tauter. "Ah! I get it. You think if you show me your abilities, I can somehow wrap my chain around it and cause you to fall asleep because it's connected to you."

Satsugai smirked at the tiny prodigy, teasing him through his eyes. "Come on, Snow Flake. Or are you too chicken to fight me?"

"… Bankai…" Hitsugaya seethed through clenched teeth. "Daiguren Hyourinmaru!" A freezing wind enveloped the Fallen Angel, his long hair flying behind him at the blast coming from Toshiro. Mist surrounded the area they were in, unfolding to show the prodigy in his powerful form. Wings formed from ice flapped behind him, a tail dangling between his legs, his right arm swallowed in ice to form a claw around his zanpaktou. Three purple flowers of ice floated behind him, each honing four petals.

"Hmph… Seems you got some of your resolve back. What caused it, Snow Flake?" Satsugai poised himself for attack, crouching slightly with his ax held tightly in his right palm.

"Don't… Call me Snow Flake! HAAH!" Toshiro raised his sword above him, ice collecting at the tip to make a structure of a long pillar of ice. Satsugai's eyes widened at the sudden attack, whacking the pillar in half before it reached his body. The remaining ice evaporated into the air, mist encircling the white-stranded boy like a second skin.

"Heh. I didn't know you had such a strong attack under your sleeve. If I hadn't dodged in time-" Listening to his senses, Satsugai shunpoed upwards only to shunpo to a different location when a dragon carved from ice followed his movements. Luckily, it had crashed onto the building's rooftop he last touched, so he was safe for the time being, facing yet again the boy he underestimated.

"Ah, I didn't take you to be a person who interrupted someone's speech. But I guess my assumptions on you have been wrong, too. Time to get serious, huh, Snow Flake?" He readied himself, the balls of his feet pressing on nothing but air, his ax twirling dangerously in his hand.

"If you don't, you're going to lose your life," Toshiro said with slight irritancy in his voice. With no more to say, the two flash-stepped towards each other, their blades scraping against the other, Hitsugaya's zanpaktou birthing ice at its tip yet again and enclosing Satsugai's ax within it. Seeing how his weapon was being swallowed by Toshiro's zanpaktou, he unconnected the bottom half of his ax, wrapping the chain around the forming ice. Hitsugaya immediately leaped backwards to gain some feet, afraid that he might've touched the toxin-induced chain.

He clutched at his bare hand, breathing heavily through his mouth, and hearing a crack of a petal behind him disintegrating. "Hoh?" Satsugai noticed the petal from one of the flowers withering away, slight amusement in his deep-green eyes. "Heh, I see now. Once all those petals are gone, your Bankai will be gone, which means… I just have to wear you out till it's over!" The Fallen Angel raised the ax, jumping towards the unsuspecting child with a wide grin on his face, when Toshiro whipped his zanpaktou back to bring it forward, ice crashing against Satsugai's middle and causing him to fly backwards against a window.

Ice began to seal his body against the building, trapping him there as it crept up his arms and legs. Realizing that this was his chance to finally set things straight, Toshiro flew with amazing velocity towards the Tenshi no Namida, eyes full with fright as his zanpaktou glinted against the light. "NO!" the Fallen Angel cried, as blood splattered upwards in the atmosphere between them.

The black-haired male stayed immobile, Toshiro's eyes as big as saucers. "… Just kidding." The slice of a blade cutting through flesh sounded in the Captain's ears, yet he couldn't make any move to get him away from his predicament. Right at the moment that he was about to end Teo Satsugai's life, the man had broken free from the ice that had locked him in place, and swung his ax, entering his stomach. His Bankai began to erode away, ice particles brushing his skin as he headed towards ground.

_No… This can't… be happening…_

**XLXLXL**

Matsumoto abruptly halted in her step, a gasp leaving her lips, sweat dribbling down the side of her cheek. "What is it?" Rukia asked her, stopping herself as well. The strawberry-blonde's bottom lip quivered, air barely resuscitating her lungs.

"Tai… chou…" she whispered beneath her breath. She had felt the sudden decrease of reiatsu that was momentarily flaring minutes ago. She had rushed out of Orihime's apartment, commanding she stay so she could be safe. Although the orange-haired girl wanted to heal those who were wounded, Matsumoto wouldn't allow it. The watch in her hand kept beeping and beeping, and it turned out Rukia's was as well, so they both rushed onwards to find where it had been coming from.

Almost instantly, a crash in her peripheral interrupted her reverie, and in a blink of an eye, she and Rukia were towards the sound. "Getsuga… Tenshou!" The dust that had collected from his collision with the building dispersed, displaying Ichigo in his battered state, blood running down his temple, and a slightly ripped bottom lip.

Though he was seriously injured, Ichigo stood to his feet, albeit shakily. "Ichigo!" Rukia called out, as she shunpoed beside him to steady his figure.

"R-Rukia…"

"Are you all right?"

"Y-yeah…" Ichigo grunted, clutching onto his chest, Matsumoto on his other side straightening him upwards. "You two, I got a favor to ask…" The two women gazed at him with perplexity, wondering what he could possibly say. "I need you guys to get out of here…"

"Ichigo-" Rukia started to instantaneously protest, but then Ichigo continued to speak.

"Rukia… Matsumoto-san… You need to go check on Toshiro. I'm sure you guys have felt it…" Both of the females' eyes considerably widened, the Visored staggering somewhat, bringing his zanpaktou forth to face the enemy. "It's okay… I'll be fine… You guys just need to go…" Rukia reluctantly freed the orangette's sleeve, her bangs shrouding her eyes and her expression unreadable to Matsumoto who was paying attention.

"Quit it with that, already!" Ichigo jolted from the sudden outburst to his left, glimpsing a shaking Rukia beside him, her fingertips tucked into her palms to form fists. "Don't you realize how close you are to losing your powers? You've already gone through your second phase of reiatsu energy loss. When will be the next?" Matsumoto gazed at the girl with full understanding, her brows stitched together, and the corners of her lips pointing downwards. "You don't know, right? None of us know. All of us have been giving you the space you wanted so your pride wouldn't be damaged, but this time, I'm stepping in so your life won't be tarnished."

Ichigo remained silent, his tangerine hair shadowing his eyes. The creature stayed in place, waiting for the Substitute Shinigami's next assault. "Ichigo, aren't we your friends? If you think this at all-"

"I'm not fucking stupid, Rukia!" The younger Kuchiki stared at him in awe, Ichigo's anger rising by the minute. "I _know _thatmy powers are waning. I _know _that I'm losing this fight. _I know that I can die. _Yes, I realize all of that! But I'm not gonna break my promise! I said that I'd protect everyone who was important to me, and that's exactly what I'll do… even till my last breath. If I'm gonna die today, at least I know I tried. At least I know I protected him!"

Rukia's fist tightened until her nails nearly dug into her skin, then hesitantly loosened, her arms falling limp beside her. "Then you had better keep to those words…" Ichigo kept his gaze firmly on her walking figure, the breeze blowing at his bottom layer of hair. In a blur he had grown familiar to, she was gone with the use of her shunpo, leaving no evidence of her arrival.

"Ichigo, I know that it's not in my place to butt in, but… that 'him' you mentioned. What does he mean to you?" Ichigo held onto Zangetsu as if it were his life-line, the ability to swallow becoming difficult.

"He's… someone important… If something happened to him, I don't think I can ever forgive myself. So… I have to protect him… Even if it costs me my life…" Matsumoto pondered over his words carefully, bringing a smile on her sleek face.

"Hm, good answer…" and with that, she left without a glance back, hoping and praying that the boy would not die. If not for his sake, for the arrancar's sake. Ichigo glared at the individual in front of him, wearing nothing but the expression of apathy.

"I gotta say, that was awfully nice of you not to strike at any of us. If you had, you'd have fewer problems," Ichigo relayed, readying himself for any impending attack.

"I was ordered to kill Kurosaki Ichigo, no other." The voice was monotonous and deep, its golden eyes fixated on him, calm and unaffected whatsoever.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that. Aah!" he growled, swinging his sword to embed it into the man's epidermis, but the hollow-like creature merely escaped it by moving to the side. He lifted the zanpaktou above his head, knowing what would happen if he used his Shikai's ability. _Only speeding up his energy loss… _But he had made a promise. Not only to Grimmjow, but Rukia and Matsumoto now. "Getsuga… Tenshou!" Blue-silver spirit energy shaped like a crescent moon flew from his blade, smacking against the male's upper left limb, scathing it a tiny amount.

Smoke oozed from his arm, but he remained unperturbed by it. Ichigo gritted his teeth at that. He felt immensely tired already. _If he had to use another Getsuga Tenshou, he knew he'd be done for. _If he couldn't use that, then he knew he had to use his brute strength instead. He charged towards the man, their weapons bashing together. Ichigo summoned all of his strength to ram the taller character backwards, and although he was faltering a bit, he knew he had to persevere. "Guuh!" he grunted, finally pushing the creature away from him.

He breathed in labored breaths and wiped at his bleeding lip, closing his other eye from the blood dripping down. He nearly stumbled onto his back when the man had appeared abruptly in front of him, aiming to slice at his throat before he evaded it completely. He gripped at his chest, attempting to catch his breath, his heart experiencing pain from so much energy he exerted. _He had to pull it together. This wasn't like him._

_If he couldn't kill the bastard with only just his Shikai… then…_

"… Bankai…" A forceful wind surrounded Ichigo's body, ruffling his Shinigami attire, the creature barely blinking at the sudden change of temperature. The tornado that embraced him disassembled from around him, displaying Ichigo in his new form. "… Tensa Zangetsu." _He had to do this quickly. Everything had to be quick, or else… _"HAAH! GETSUGA TENSHOU!" With everything in him, he poured all of his soul, body, and mind into it, a crescent-moon of black energy outlined with red rushing towards the shocked skeleton-like mantis.

Ichigo planted his zanpaktou on the rooftop, falling onto his knees from the exhaustion. _He couldn't stand anymore. _He shook almost everywhere, his breathing barely there. Dust was flying everywhere in front of him, and he hoped to whatever deity was out there that the creature was dead… _But it wasn't meant to be…_ The dust finally receded, showing him that the male had barely been injured, his blood only plunging from his right arm. Other than that, the creature was unharmed.

Ichigo steered his eyes to the ground, knowing he couldn't escape this anymore. _Was this it for him? Dying on a rooftop without anybody knowing? _He guessed it wasn't such an awful thing. He _had _beaten the _supposed _god of Soul Society, met the most trustworthy of friends, lived in a house with a wonderful family, and maybe even gained a lover… At that thought, his feelings grew even deeper; more melancholy.

_Did I actually protect him from anything? _

The corners on his lips lowered, knowing that he absolutely did nothing. _He couldn't even defeat this man. _

"_All of us have been giving you the space you wanted so your pride wouldn't be damaged…" _

_That's right. I'm probably just a burden to everyone now… _The grasp around the hilt of his sword fell, already knowing what his fate would be.

_Grimmjow… Am I a fool? _

Just when he expected the worst, with his head torn to shreds and him lying limp without another word, he felt a shift of wind in front of him, the clanging of swords greeting him. Almost as if afraid to open his eyes, Ichigo reluctantly opened them. Teal hair swayed in the breeze, one muscular arm holding Pantera and fighting off the creature's sword-like arm. "Damn, Ichigo, is this all you got? Already giving up when this fucking bastard's a weakling? Pathetic… HAH!"

Grimmjow threw a punch at the creature's abdomen, throwing it off guard and causing it to soar backwards and collide with a building. Having witnessed the act before him, and finally registering that he had been insulted, Ichigo stood to his feet, punching the man as hard as he could on the cheek. "Asshole!" Ichigo retorted, Grimmjow immediately lifting him up by his Shinigami robes with a snarl.

"What the fuck was that for? I just saved your pansy ass!"

"How the hell can you call me pathetic when I was fighting that freakazoid for you!"

"If you were fighting him seriously, you wouldn't have just stayed there like a fucking pussy! That's not how you were when you were fighting with me, so stop being a coward," with a last bite to his words, Grimmjow shoved him away, raking fingers through his hair.

"Now, now, children, no need to argue." Ichigo stiffened from the familiar voice, spinning around to see a man with blonde hair beneath a green-and-white striped hat.

"Urahara-san…"

"Good day to you, Kuro-"

"It's nighttime."

"Ah, yes, but enough of that; are you all right?"

"I think so…" Ichigo answered earnestly, searching his body for any serious wounds.

"Enough of the chit-chat. He's fine…" Ichigo gazed upwards at a battle-ready Grimmjow. He would've rolled his eyes at the comment, but something in his tone was different from when he normally talked. "Time to kill," Grimmjow stated with an excited chuckle. One that Ichigo thought was _too_ excited. As the dust particles in the air separated to present a slightly shaken mantis-creature, Grimmjow left him no time to recover, shooting off from the balls of his feet to crash a long leg onto its skull.

Ichigo had never seen him so happy; it kind of reminded him of when Grimmjow fought with him. It wasn't a pleasant remembrance, and he found himself actually scowling at the memory. "Kurosaki-san, do you notice any difference in Grimmjow's movements?"

"Huh?" Ichigo questioned in wonder at the sudden inquisition.

"Look closely," Urahara advised, and look closely he did. His eyes dilated at the spectacle, Grimmjow's movements much more fluid. Much more quick. Much more _powerful. _

"I-… It's like he's gotten stronger; like he's somehow closer to his normal self."

"Good observation, Kurosaki-san," the blonde shopkeeper complimented. Ichigo nodded in understanding, when something dawned on him, and it wasn't something pleasing.

"Urahara-san, don't tell me… Have you been modifying his Gigai again?" the student interrogated with narrowed eyes.

"Ah-ha, not at all, Kurosaki-san! I haven't touched his Gigai since he transferred into your school," Urahara swiftly elucidated.

"… Then why is he so much stronger?" Ichigo mulled over it in his head, watching Grimmjow use merely his limbs and a bit of Pantera whenever the being tried to stab him with his arm. Urahara remained watching and silent with him, a flash in his eye foreboding some great news.

"Kurosaki-san, do you trust this arrancar? Even just slightly?" Urahara asked in all seriousness.

"Uh… huh? What the hell are you implying?" Ichigo felt his face heat up, wondering if Urahara knew of the things they did behind closed doors. He felt his ears get immensely warm, as if smoke was exiting them from so much heat.

"I meant exactly that, or are you thinking of something else?" Urahara smiled at the boy slyly, Ichigo's reaction what he'd expected. The Visored blushed so intensely, he wondered how the lad could even breathe for a second.

"H-hell no! Why the hell w-would I be thinking of something else?" Ichigo scratched at his temple, trying to compose himself, although he knew he was failing miserably. When he glanced in the shopkeeper's eyes, it showed him that Urahara could care less at the moment, but what his true answer was. Ichigo sighed. "If I'm gonna be honest right now, I'll probably say I do trust him. He's a lot more loyal than people take him to be, and maybe that's what I thought at first but now…"

"Now you do." Ichigo hesitantly nodded his head. "Kurosaki-san, do you know how to unlock the Tamishi Sutabiraiza?" Ichigo merely stared at him, convincing Urahara that he indeed did not know. "The Tamishi Sutabiraiza was made for trust. The captive and locker's reiatsu somewhat merge to form this solid contract within the bracelet. As you know, the soul has a lot to do with what the mind feels or thinks. Do you ever notice that when you have a strong resolve, your powers are strong as well?"

Ichigo listened to the man with his full attention, agreeing with the man's question almost as if in telepathy. "When you give trust onto the captive, you are slowly unlocking the bracelet's hold. But the locker is not the only one who has to learn to trust; the captive has to as well. Cooperation and trust is what must be built to make a key. When the souls are fully on the same wavelength, _that _is when he will be set free." Urahara fanned beneath his chin, Ichigo returning his eyes onto Grimmjow's attacking body.

And then, time had momentarily slowed for Ichigo. As he viewed the goings-on with the fight between Grimmjow and the unknown male, the taller of the two slashed at Grimmjow's chest, blood flying in all directions. Ichigo caught a glimpse of the ex-Espada's pained expression before it disappeared entirely, and that was when Ichigo realized that Grimmjow couldn't seriously defeat this creature. _If he couldn't in his Shinigami form, how could Grimmjow in his Gigai_?

As he stepped forward, a hand grasped his arm before he could make any progress more. "Ichigo, do not involve yourself any longer. This is now Grimmjow's fight."

"Urahara-san…" The shopkeeper gazed at Ichigo, waiting for the boy to continue his sentence, knowing that it was probably going to be something stubborn so he could join Grimmjow to protect him. "That party you threw today in the training grounds; you did that because you knew my powers would be gone soon, didn't you?" Ichigo glanced beneath his feet, knowing that the silence was the truth. "And you were the one who called us all on the Shigunaringu Tokei, not Toshiro, just so we could all see that, didn't you?"

"No… I did it so _you _could see it…" the former 12th captain confessed.

"Then don't you think I should lose my powers to something that's important? Something important to _me_?" Urahara let loose of his arm, shutting his fan in his hand. Without any more delay, Ichigo charged to where Grimmjow was, blocking the incoming assault at the arrancar's front.

"Oi, what the hell ya buttin' in for?" Grimmjow questioned with a tiny growl.

"I guess I was just looking for a fight." Ichigo smirked.

"Che, who ya lookin' to fight with? Him or me?" Grimmjow said with annoyance clearly in his voice.

"Kill me later; we got a fight to settle." Ichigo hoisted the sword above his head, wind picking at his tresses. "Getsuga Tenshou!" A blast of black energy drove towards the mantis-creature, one of his sword arms coming up to block it, but this time, the assault caused him to fly backwards into the same building Grimmjow punched him into. _I did it! _But there was no time left to rejoice… when that same throbbing pain occurred behind his sternum.

His eyes widened, tears sprouting at the corners from the immense pain he was trying to ignore. _If this was what he thought it was… _"AAAAH!" Ichigo screamed, clawing at his chest from the extreme hurt; as if his insides were being ground like meat, sliced and burned. He fell onto the rooftop's ground, shouting bloody murder, tears streaming from his eyes. He could hear his heart beating erratically behind his chest, sweat trickling everywhere. _Too much water. _

Rain poured at all sides of him, the clouds that had been covering the moon finally weeping. _"Ichigo… Ichigo…"_ Someone was shouting his name, and though it sounded familiar, he couldn't hear anything. _There was nothing but rain..._ With one last glimpse at the dark-gray sky, he tumbled in the swirls of darkness.


	15. Chapter 15: Change of Heart

**Thank-Woos: **Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Amyanddan**/**skyglazingMaro**/**Kid Darkness

* * *

><p>See you later.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 15: Change of Heart]**

The water infiltrated his nose, his eyes, and mouth. It covered all of him, and yet he couldn't make out a light throughout all of it. His ears, though; it kept picking up the sound of a deep voice shouting his name. Shouting out for him. _If only he knew where the sound was coming from… Maybe then he'd reach some kind of point._

_Ichigo… Ichigo… Ichigo…_

The more he heard it, the more it seemed like it was decreasing. He reached his arms forward in the depths of the waters he was submerged in, not knowing where his goal was. He just didn't want the voice to go away. As he swam upwards, no light still greeted him. But he knew if he kept paddling, there had to be a surface where it ended.

_Ichigo…... Ichigo…..._

"Ichigo!" He opened his eyes, the light blinding him, as he shut them tightly so as to not irritate his eyes. The images in front of him were blurry, and all he could make out were colors of many different kinds and shades. "Ichigo, are you okay?"

_Rukia?_

"W-where am I?" He was shocked to hear his voice so defeated, and so lost of all hope.

"You're in the Urahara Shoten, Ichigo." As his vision returned, he recognized that he was indeed in one of Urahara's spare rooms, his close friends sitting around him for comfort. But he knew no amount of soothing words or pats on the back could lift him from his dry spirits.

"Would you like me to get a glass of water for you, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue piped up, although the smile didn't reach her eyes. Ichigo merely shook his head to deny her. He looked at all of them. Renji with his pineapple-red hair. Rukia with her solemn expression. Inoue with her saddened eyes, brimming with tears. Ishida with his stupid-nerd glasses glinting in the light. Chad with his broad frame. Yoruichi in her womanly form. Urahara with the same fan, clothes, and hat. But of course, _he_wasn't in there with them.

"Ah, where's Matsumoto-san and Toshiro?" he burst out, trying to change the mood.

"They returned to Soul Society to report what has been happening…" Yoruichi informed, avoiding the boy's eyes entirely. Ichigo gazed down at his intertwined hands, nodding his head in understanding. Slowly he stood to his feet, his friends' eyes following his every move.

"Can I just stand outside for a while?" He knew his voice sounded melancholy and quite lonely despite how much he tried to make it sound calm and not the least bit dampened. But he knew it wouldn't convince anyone. Even for him. The sun glowed brightly behind wispy clouds, the air was cool, and… the decrease of reiatsu was plain to feel and see. Everyone behind him watched him carefully, Ichigo staring up at the early sun in its glory.

He knew what was happening, and everyone was trying to remain considerate of him, but really it only saddened him. It just reminded him that everything was going to change. He knew his fate. In fact, he had accepted it quite a while ago. He rotated to face all of his companions, all of them staring at him with the same thought in mind.

_Changes._

He could already feel their spiritual energies disappearing, and even Rukia and Renji were beginning to fade. "You guys going back to Soul Society?" He forced a smile on his lips, knowing the inevitable.

"Ah," Rukia answered, her dark-purple irises concentrating on the sandy ground beneath her feet.

"…Give everyone my best regards." Ichigo stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets, hoping that they didn't see the tremors he was producing.

"We will…" Renji promised, meeting eyes with Ichigo for one last time in his spiritual form. As if ashes, the two began to, as if, disintegrate, leaving behind nothing of them, but their memory. Everyone else steered their attention to his right to what he assumed were of Rukia and Renji entering the Senkaimon, in which he could not see. Rukia looked back once more at her best friend, uttering a last goodbye before entering the whiteness, Renji staring at the orangette in much of the same manner.

Knowing that they finally left, Ichigo looked at Urahara, the blonde shopkeeper knowing full well what Ichigo was wanting. "Follow me, Kurosaki-san." And follow him, he did. He lifted the entrance to the training grounds, booms and bangs being heard beneath. Seeing how the student was hesitating, Urahara said, "Go on, Kurosaki-san…" Ichigo seemed to contemplate it for a while, but after gazing at Urahara for confirmation, he nodded with reluctant resolve, climbing down the ladder as slowly as he could.

Behind him, he could hear Grimmjow's grunts and heavy breaths, and the occasional boulder crashing against another one. Once he stepped foot on solid ground, his nervousness only escalated, knowing that Grimmjow was upset with him. _And now that his Soul Reaper powers were gone…_ _If he wasn't careful, Grimmjow could crush him instantly._The arrancar was already stronger in physical form, and if anything, Ichigo had only been able to defeat him before because he had his Shinigami powers.

"O-oi, Grimmjow…" he began, his fingers slightly shaking as he hid it behind his back, closing it in a fist. The ex-Espada merely threw a punch at rocks stacked upon the other, sending it flying. "H-hey, you baka!" He nervously laughed, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "Y-you should've said goodbye to Rukia and Renji. They're not gonna be back for a while," he pretended to scold, hoping that his false anger could trigger something within the blunet.

"Why the fuck should I? I hate them both- RAAH!" He lifted a weighty rock off of the ground, chucking it somewhere a few feet away. Ichigo opened his mouth to retaliate, to even speak, but he knew he just couldn't. If he wanted to properly speak with the man, he had to get him at a time where he was at least calmed down. The time wasn't great to explain everything to him, so Ichigo spun on his heel, heading for the ladder, hoping he could patch up whatever bridge they had built.

**XLXLXL**

When he had climbed upstairs, his friends were all waiting for him and were even nice enough to prepare breakfast. He knew the occasion wasn't something to be happy about, but just knowing that his friends did this for him was enough to make him smile even just for a while. After most of them had gone home with a wave farewell, he had waited for Grimmjow to resurface. But it only proved to be in vain, only making him take a nap from the long wait.

"Kurosaki? Kurosaki-san?" His eyes fluttered, being met with the former captain shaking his shoulder. He lifted his upper body from the hardwood flooring, stretching as he did so.

"What time is it?" he asked with a forceful yawn.

"It's seven o'clock," Urahara answered with a wave of his fan beneath his stubbly chin. Ichigo nodded, coming to the realization that he had been asleep for about three hours already.

"Ah, where is he?" He began to search around him, wondering if he'd lay eyes on him walking around the shop somehow.

"Oh, Grimm-kun? He left about a little more than an hour ago." Ichigo steered his eyes onto his lap with an "oh," coming out of his lips.

"… He's really mad, isn't he?" the ex-Shinigami questioned, gripping onto his hair. Urahara eyed him with somber eyes, seeing how much pain it put the boy through, knowing that his lover was upset with him.

"Well, I would imagine he's not too fond of the idea of you keeping this from him." The shopkeeper stood to his feet, dusting off his legs. "It's only natural, ne?" Ichigo's honey eyes widened for a split second at the observation from Urahara, rolling it around in his head to process it. After much thinking, he took to his feet, thanking the shopkeeper for all he'd done, heading for home.

Urahara watched the boy walk towards his house with a somewhat deflated look to him, feeling sympathy, but knowing that if he voiced it outward, Ichigo would only feel even greater misery.

**XLXLXL**

When Ichigo arrived at his house, everything had seemed the same, although a major change had just occurred. Yuzu was still cooking happily with her cheerful attitude, while Karin remained at the table, eating silently. His father had not thrown himself at him, fortunately, since he had papers to attend to. He kept reminding himself that this was all he had ever wanted, as he sat himself down at the dinner table to eat his dinner; even though he was not in the least bit hungry.

He had always wanted spirits to leave him alone, and now, he had that. He would remain with peacefulness; at least that was what he tried convincing himself with. Being a Shinigami had given him a purpose, and had allowed him to protect the ones he loved… but now, he wasn't so sure he could do that. "Onii-chan?" He glanced up from his thoughtful chomping, both his sisters gazing at him with worry. "Do you not like the food?" Yuzu asked him anxiously.

"N-no, that's not it, Yuzu. Don't worry about it." He planted a fake smile on his lips, hoping it would ease the tension they both felt, but the two sisters mainly silenced themselves, keeping their thoughts inside. He hadn't stayed to watch T.V. with them, instead climbing up the stairs with heavy-as-lead legs. He opened his room door, half expecting it to be devoid of any life form, when he spotted Grimmjow leaning against the wall with crossed arms and a deep frown.

Instead of meeting eyes with him fully, Ichigo traipsed over to his window, widening the curtains apart and sliding his window aside to let in the moonlight's glare and the night's breeze. He remained sitting on his bed, keeping his mouth shut tightly, knowing an incoming fight could take place if he didn't tread over this lightly. He opened his mouth to proceed, but the growl from Grimmjow halted him. He drove his eyes over to the sixth Espada, his aggravation plain to see. Abruptly, without another second of rebuttal, Ichigo was shoved against the bed, Grimmjow's strong hand locked firmly around his throat.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? That if ya kept your mouth shut 'bout it, I wouldn't notice anythin'?" the man above him seethed. Ichigo wrapped his fingers around his wrist, trying to pry them off futilely.

"G-Grimmjow… It wasn't like that!" he tried to amend.

"I was trying to regain my powers so I could finally defeat you! I wanted you to see what my ultimate power was! So that ya wouldn't look down on me with those fucking eyes of yours! I'm _stronger_ than you! I'm _faster_! I can fucking _kill_you!" Ichigo stared up at him with bewilderment. _Why was Grimmjow getting so angry? Was it all about me not telling him? Or about him not being able to defeat me because I didn't have my powers anymore?_

"… If you hate me so much, why don't you just kill me? Your chance is here, Grimmjow. I don't have my powers anymore, so I can't duel with swords. I can't overpower you, so you could even kill me with your bare hands…" Ichigo peered into the blue eyes he was always mesmerized with, daring Grimmjow to kill him. _To do anything to him._

"I don't fight weak things." At that abrupt moment, Ichigo felt something pang in his heart. As Grimmjow stood to leave, Ichigo pulled on his shirt's collar, spinning him around only to land a fist on his cheek. "Kuh… you… bastard!" Grimmjow spit blood out from the side of his mouth, swinging his arm upwards to meet with Ichigo's chin. The teenager skidded backwards a tiny amount, reeling his arm back to propel forwards, when Grimmjow caught the fist in his hand.

Ichigo clenched his teeth, his anger rising. Without another thing to muse over, the ex-Soul Reaper used his other arm to attempt on totaling the Espada another one when it was caught all the same. "I told you; you're _weak_…" Grimmjow emphasized, Ichigo bowing his head, his tangerine bangs covering his eyes but not his gritted teeth.

"Let me go…" Ichigo started with a slight tremor to his voice. "I said, _let me go_!" When Grimmjow failed to oblige him, Ichigo tried to break free, finding that it was much more difficult than he thought it to be. In one swift move, he was shoved against a wall, both his wrists pinned, staring up into a furious blue fire. When he realized that he had lost yet again, something within him broke. As if the truth was slapped against his face like cold water. "Do you think I wanted this? I don't want to lose my powers! I wanna protect everyone!" He was ashamed, yes. Not because he wasn't on par with Grimmjow anymore, but that he couldn't even look into the man's eyes.

"Fuck you, Grimmjow! _Fuck_you!" Without willingly thinking about it, Ichigo began to dig his fingers into his palms, his sole attention on the carpet. Even though Grimmjow had released his wrists, he remained unaware of it, staying in his spot. Grimmjow tilted the boy's chin towards him, taking those lips into his own, Ichigo melting into it almost instantly. He didn't find it in himself to resist. _He wanted to be comforted. To be consoled._

He had never felt this longing before. It was overtaking his body, and there wasn't much more he could do about it but to do its biddings. Grimmjow's tongue had never tasted so bittersweet to him, his arms surrounding that corded neck, and his legs enveloping his waist in its embrace. He tangled his fingers with unruly, teal locks, gasping for air every now and then only to swoop back in, as if the oxygen he needed was Grimmjow itself. Fingers massaged his back beneath the shirt, the arrancar's sturdy arms carrying him onto the bed, their lips never breaking apart.

The ex-Espada progressed onto his neck, as he extended it to feel more of those soft lips on his hot flesh. "G-Grimmjow… Yuzu and Karin…" he reminded, trying to bring the thought of his sisters in mind to regain control somehow. _So he wasn't completely swept away._

"Just shut up. You owe me this much…" He heard clothes ruffling, being thrown on the ground. Kisses trailed everywhere. Grimmjow continued his lazy tour downwards, scratching his teeth over a collarbone. A slick tongue swirled around his nipple, his chest lifting of its own accord, fingers knotting in blue hair. A thumb rolled his other caramel nipple beneath it, his head feeling like it was going to explode just from this little stimulation.

"Hn… mm…" Ichigo leaned his head back, his mind reeling at the ministrations. The first time they had done this, it was so rushed, and it had felt wrong to him. It wasn't wrong because it was Grimmjow. It had felt wrong because it was the wrong time. _But now…_"Hah… aah…" His mouth was wide agape, incoherent words and non-words escaping him without his consent. Grimmjow ran his tongue over the peaking valleys of Ichigo's abdominal muscles, flexing occasionally. "… Grimmjow… don't…"

Grimmjow glanced upwards at his expression. _The boy always protested, but his face clearly said he wanted it._Orange hair brushed his chin, Ichigo's lower body responding by jutting upwards. Ichigo tried to maintain the sounds coming out from him, but it was nearly impossible. Grimmjow was so close, and he just wanted… _he just wanted…_"Ah-hah…" Hot breaths whooshed out from him, Grimmjow's lips meeting with his tip, his precum collecting. "Grimmjow… I…" Ichigo tasted blood. That was all he could sense.

As the ex-Espada had lowered his mouth on his straining anatomy, Ichigo had bitten his lip hard enough to bleed. He widened his legs, allowing full access to the teal-haired individual. He felt like he was feeling heat increase and decrease, as if a roller coaster. His head was only getting hotter, and everything on him felt like ice and fire had been set all over him. Goose bumps rose on his skin like prickles, Grimmjow soothing them down with his warmth.

_This was definitely different,_Ichigo found himself thinking. He was sure it had something to do with the lack of reluctance. "Grimm… mmph…" He gripped onto those interloping strands of hair, that hot mouth encircling him entirely, his eyes barely able to remain open. "I… I'm coming…" he warned, his body freezing from the impending climax. As he neared his limit, Grimmjow sensed the desperation, twisting his tongue around the tip, and releasing him with a slight _pop_.

When Grimmjow gazed at the brown-eyed once-Shinigami, he looked exhausted and nearly red from all of the ministrations. His breaths were shaky, his body fighting to get air. He flipped the boy onto his stomach, Ichigo raising his ass, knowing what was going to come next. He felt a wet streak line his entrance, shuddering from the sensation. Grimmjow separated his cheeks, probing Ichigo further, Ichigo pressing closer against him. "Hn…" Ichigo's voice was muffled by the pillow he placed in front of his face, trying so hard to be quiet.

Something solid soon joined the wetness of Grimmjow's tongue, one finger being inserted within him. This was the first time Grimmjow was actually going slow for him, although the pace was still fairly fast to Ichigo. But the orangette knew not to ask for more.

_It hurt._The more Grimmjow added inside him, the more he thought he was gonna break from it. But he knew that wasn't the worst of it. With the third finger joining in with the other digits, he thought he was at his limit. _It was too much. _"Ah! Mm…" He didn't know when he separated from the pillow, but he knew he was loud and clear.

"If ya keep making sounds like that, it's harder to be patient," Grimmjow threatened, pumping his fingers without relent.

"Haah… How am I… supposed to be quiet… with three fingers in my ass?" Ichigo retorted, biting into his knuckle to stifle himself. Grimmjow smirked behind him, pulling his fingers out with ease. He rotated Ichigo onto his back, his face flushed like their other times. He positioned himself at Ichigo's orifice, inserting himself ever so slowly. He'd have liked to just push himself in one go, but he knew that would be the less painful way for Ichigo, and he wanted Ichigo to suffer as his punishment if not anything. Ichigo clenched his hands into fists, biting his lip to focus on something else other than the hurt.

But it proved to be in vain when the enormous rod within him seated itself fully, deep moans forced out of him. Without waiting for his adjustment, Grimmjow pulled out only to push back in a blinking motion, Ichigo fisting the sheets beneath him. "AH!" The bed rocked underneath them, his bed's frame banging against the wall. Something in his subconscious was telling him that his sisters were probably hearing everything, but his sole concentration was the pummeling length inside him.

For once in his life, he felt like crying. He'd cried before when he was a child because of his deceased mother, but this time, he was crying for himself, not for someone else. It wasn't because of the pain laced with pleasure, at least not entirely. He knew that his powers were definitely gone. He just couldn't get over that. If he cried now, he would have an excuse if Grimmjow noticed it. _It hurt, you bastard!_But he knew that excuse would only feed the man's ego. But it was better than the real reason.

He wrapped his legs around Grimmjow's waist, his arms encircling his neck, tears sprouting behind his eyelids. Big hands raised his legs further up, his knees beside his head. He could hear the bed's protests, the occasional wall bang, his moans and hiccups, and Grimmjow's grunts and pants. He could feel sweat in his inner elbows, armpits, behind his knees, and stomach. Sweat rolled down the side of his head. He could make out the color of Grimmjow's hair, but everything was blurred.

He knew it had to be the tears. He tried to blink them away, but they kept returning, weeping his heart's sorrow. He felt himself hoisted upwards, being bounced on Grimmjow's lap, until he took control of it himself, lifting himself up and down. He situated his palms on the man's broad shoulders, water trickling down his cheeks onto his chin. He was glad, though. Grimmjow was paying special attention to his nipples instead of his expression. He didn't want to be caught dead crying.

Soon, pain began to ebb, pleasure replacing it entirely, lowering himself enough to feel Grimmjow's length pierce his gland. With a sudden growl, Grimmjow placed him on his knees, continuously pounding into him, every thrust stabbing his prostate, only pushing him closer to the edge. He left traces of his lips on Ichigo's back, leaving behind what felt like delicious scorches on the teenager's skin. Grimmjow opened his mouth to sink his teeth into the ex-Visored's neck, the slight taste of iron entering his lips.

"Grimmjow… I- hah!" Hearing the closeness of Ichigo's climax, he grabbed the boy's arm, spinning him onto his back from their first position. Grimmjow pumped Ichigo, forming a rhythm with his thrusts, Ichigo's tears only increasing by the minute. There was so much he was feeling; the pain, the pleasure, the misery from the lack of powers… It was all so overwhelming for him. "Ah, hah!" he cried, cum splattering his stomach, feeling as if he were riding a ridiculously fast coaster, dizziness clearly evident, and the tingles in his body seeming to never cease.

"Grr…" Grimmjow grunted above him, feeling heat churning in his gut at his near completion. "Mmph…" Grimmjow's suppressed moan produced, his essence flooding Ichigo, some seeping out of him. Ichigo stayed staring up at the arrancar's heaving figure, drenched in sweat, his blue strands of hair cascading downwards.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, was gazing at an exhausted, liquid-splattered Ichigo, that familiar blush tainting his cheeks crimson. "I… I think… I like you, maybe…" Ichigo said, steering his attention elsewhere. The arrancar stayed staring at Ichigo, no expression palpable on his unmarred features.

**XLXLXL**

Apparently, the two had fallen asleep peacefully by each other's side, Grimmjow's usual habit in wrapping his arms around Ichigo evident as always. Ichigo had begun to stir when he felt the coldness seep into his room from his now still-opened window. He undid Grimmjow's arms from around him, sliding the window shut, but leaving the curtains where they were.

He stared up at the moon, thinking that it was only a day ago he still had Shinigami powers. He glanced downwards at his so-called _lover_, wondering if that was what they really were. From what he could tell, they were nothing but fuck buddies. _Grimmjow inserted his thing in his thing, and they rode it out,_ that was the agreement. Well, he'd like to say agreement, but he knew it didn't start out that way. More like a forced rape, and then becoming a mutual understanding between two beings with different sex drives.

And Grimmjow was still an arrancar… _But it wasn't like he had to worry about whether Grimmjow was an enemy or not anymore._He encircled his hunched knees with his arms, leaning his chin on top of them.

"_I… I think… I like you, maybe…"_

At the repeat of his voice sounding so vulnerable and honest, Ichigo's face blew up with red, as he tucked his face underneath his arms. He exhaled an exasperated breath, turning his attention on the man he supposedly confessed to not even four hours ago. _And now that he was looking, he noticed how long Grimmjow's eyelashes were…_He mentally slapped himself for even thinking of such an absurd thing. He rubbed at his overridden eyes, groaning with frustration.

"Oi… shut the fuck up and go to sleep…" Ichigo was immediately thumped back onto the bed, those muscular arms encircling him possessively. The orangette didn't even think of fighting it. He knew he would lose. Instead he remained watching those fluttering eyelids, anxiety beginning to eat away at him again. _If he, somehow, fell for him, he knew it would serve no purpose. The feelings would only be a hindrance._

_And it wasn't like Grimmjow would reciprocate it_. Immediately, Ichigo chastised himself for even thinking of such a ridiculous thing. If he didn't have feelings for Grimmjow, he shouldn't have felt sad thinking about it. He thought of Grimmjow with someone else… and it made something boil in him. He thought of Grimmjow leaving… That wasn't acceptable either.

And then he snapped back to reality. He was thinking too hard over something he shouldn't be. He turned on his side, hoping that if he didn't look at Grimmjow throughout the night, the thoughts would cease to exist. He scrunched up his eyes, concentrating on it, when, "Keh, stop movin'." And he indeed stopped, holding his breath. That little gust of air that brushed his ear was enough to return thoughts of what he was trying to get rid of. "Why the hell are ya tossing and turning for? If ya got something on your mind, just fucking say it to get it over with."

Ichigo stiffened. _How was the man able to deduce it so easily?_Of course he couldn't say what was on his mind; that would just be problematic. So… _he'd__lie._"I-I was just thinking that uh, we never really established, um, what we were."

"What do ya mean?"

Ichigo swallowed, trying to make it as less obvious as possible. "L-like, if we're friends, or something more…" he trailed off in a whisper.

"By something more you mean?" Ichigo imagined biting the man's head off. _Did he really have to explain everything?_

"You know what I fucking mean!" he blurted.

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking you, idiot." Grimmjow resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Uh, like…" Although he wasn't facing the arrancar, it was still difficult to come out with it.

Grimmjow sighed behind him, the hot breath tickling his head of hair. "What do ya call what we do?" he began.

"You know what we fucking do! You always bring it up!" Ichigo spat out with venom on his tongue.

"I don't necessarily want to fall in the category of human terms, but if it'll keep ya quiet, I'm gonna make an exception. So just come out and say it; or else I'll find a way to shut you up," Grimmjow threatened.

Ichigo growled. "Well, I don't want people asking me what you are to me! But of course people like those are around! So what the hell am I supposed to say to them?"

"Say whatever you want. What are they gonna do?" Grimmjow didn't see the point where all of this was going.

"I know that, but everyone else already knows about it. I wouldn't call us friends, and I sure as hell won't say you're my fuck buddy…" Ichigo crossed his arms, his frown deepening even further.

"Just call us whatever the fuck you want. I don't give a shit." Grimmjow snuggled closer to the Strawberry, burying his nose on top of the soft spikes.

Ichigo thought of leaving the conversation as it was, but their relationship's status was ringing in his head incessantly. "Urahara-san… he… called us lovers…"

"Then that's what we are," Grimmjow confirmed without a second to waste.

"How could you just go and say that? Do you know what the hell it means!"

Grimmjow sighed with irritancy. "If lovers have sex, then that's basically it."

"AH, LALALALA! I don't want to hear it!" Ichigo covered his ears, trying to block out those perverted words. "A-and besides… lovers don't only do _that_."

"Then what else do they do?" Grimmjow asked with absolutely no interest in his tone.

Ichigo thought it over carefully. _Did he want Grimmjow to whisper little nothings in his ears?_Immediately he felt sick to his stomach. _Did he want him to say that he_loved _him?_He nearly barfed just imagining it. Something about Grimmjow being sentimental was so out of character for him it made him want to hurl. "L-lovers… They… I guess they go out on dates, o-or something like that." Ichigo felt his face instantaneously inflame, images of strolling in the park and sorts of things like those popping up like daisies.

"Dates?" Grimmjow questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"W-we don't have to do them or anything. It's impossible, right? Me? You? On a date? Disaster!" He chuckled to himself nervously, his back against Grimmjow's chest bouncing from his fake laughter.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at the back of Ichigo's head. _Was that a challenge?_It sure sounded like it to him. "Tomorrow. Me and you. Date. I don't care if the fucking moon crashes into earth."

"H-HAH? Don't fuck with me, Grimmjow! Lemme go! I _said_let me-" Instantly, he felt a warm kiss on his neck, shutting him up momentarily.

"Say, on these so-called dates, fucking is common, right?"


	16. Chapter 16: Disastrous Date

**Thank-Woos: **skyglazingMaro**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Misc. Ink**/**Cael and Taiyo**/**Narutopokefan**/**Anonii**/**cheshire13

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><p>What could possibly go wrong?<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 16: Disastrous Date]**

_Where was a gun when a person needed one?_But of course, citizens in Japan weren't allowed weaponry unless with a license. Just standing beside the arrancar babbling on and on about nothing was causing him a headache. Waking up, and eating breakfast in the morning wasn't any much better. As he had feared, Yuzu and Karin _did_ hear everything. _From every moan to every bang of his headboard._

Yuzu blushed each time she looked at the both of them, and Karin wouldn't stop staring at them with an evil glint in her eye. His father on the other hand just cried to his mother's poster like the idiot he was. It wasn't long before Grimmjow actually caught the odder behavior the family was exhibiting, and thought it best to announce that he and Ichigo were lovers.

Luckily, he had planned ahead, and right after waking up, had ordered Grimmjow to dress for their outing along with him. So, he had escaped any more embarrassment by charging out of the house with a hand around Grimmjow's wrist, beginning their supposed _date._Of course, the ex-Espada got furious about not being able to eat all of his breakfast, and till now, was still threatening him with rough sex later on in the day. "All right! I get it! FUCK ME HOWEVER YOU LIKE! JUST SHUT UP!"

Grimmjow stared in slight shock, as well as other pedestrians on the streets. When Ichigo actually noticed the eyes on him, his face blew up in red, as he pounded the pavement to get away from the pesky eyes on his form. The arrancar appeared beside him, that familiar smirk on his face, causing shivers to patter down his spine. "Heh, you said it, Ichigo. I'll fuck you _however I like…_" From the intense, lecherous gaze the man was giving him, he nearly shrunk from fear, goose bumps prickling his skin.

"W-whatever. And you said it yourself, you wanted a date. So here we are." Ichigo gestured around him, nervousness still well and alive in his system, but he tried to ignore it to his best abilities. Grimmjow wandered his azure eyes around him, taking in all the buildings and busy people.

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Grimmjow picked at his ear, suppressing a yawn.

"Ah, well, we can go to the movies, then after that, we can eat somewhere for lunch, then we-"

"That sounds boring. Let's go somewhere else." Ichigo already felt his blood boiling and singeing his veins. "Let's go to the zoo." Immediately, he felt Grimmjow grab his wrist, hauling him off to his desired place.

"Would you wait a moment?" Ichigo protested, pulling at his arm, and keeping the heels of his Converse shoes planted in the sidewalk. "Why do you even want to go to the zoo, you idiot?"

Grimmjow spun his head to glance behind him, raising an eyebrow as if to show who had the pants in the relationship. "Ah? Duh, I wanna see the tigers and play with them," he elucidated, as if he were talking about the simplest of things.

"You lunatic! You can't _play_with the tigers," Ichigo spat out, still attempting to rid himself of the fingers around his wrist, but it was to no use.

Grimmjow merely smiled his maniacal, signature smile, his canines flicking off light. "Why? Ya _scared_, Ichigo? Are ya?" He tugged the boy towards him, their faces in close proximity. Ichigo instantaneously began to push against the male's face, trying to gain some space between them.

"No, you idiot! Just lemme go!" Ichigo continuously fought for his arm and breathing space, despite all the many eyes trained on them. "LET. ME. GO!" With a grunt, he collapsed onto the ground, Grimmjow peering down at him with a victorious grin. Ichigo only felt the fire within him ignite even further. _I'll kill him!_He stood to his feet without a second thought, dusting off his pants as he did so.

"Look, we can go to the zoo _after_ we've done it my way. Just see if you'll like it that way first, and then you can lead." Grimmjow pondered it for a moment, eyeing the locker with slight suspicion, until finally conceding with a roll of his eyes and a "whatever." Ichigo sighed in exasperation, scratching the back of his head. _He didn't know going on a date with Grimmjow was the equivalent of babysitting a brat._"Let's just go to the movies before anything begins. We got all day."

The orangette began to walk the direction of the movie theaters, Grimmjow trailing behind lazily. _If he had known that this would be as difficult as it was, he wouldn't have accepted it._But it wasn't as if he could change the arrancar's mind. The man would force him, even if he were dead. But he guessed Grimmjow was just trying to lighten up his mood. The night before, he couldn't even joke with Grimmjow like he always did, but today- he hated to admit it- he felt much better.

_Maybe there_were_good things about him…_He glanced behind him, and he found Grimmjow with his hands in his pockets, his electric-blue eyes roaming the streets and buildings. He smiled to himself, despite the man's ability to annoy him till he wanted to die. He knew he wasn't the type to go on dates and such, but he figured if he didn't do it now, he probably wouldn't do it again.

And now that he thought it through, he had never really liked anyone in his life. Well, romantically, that was. Either it was because he had better things to do, or that nobody ever gave him that type of attention. _Grimmjow was the first to ever take interest in him this way._At the thought, he found himself blushing, and despite himself, he felt his heart beating erratically. When he made out the sign of the movie theater throughout the throng of people, he stopped in front of the booth for tickets, searching for his wallet in a pocket.

"What do you want to see, Grimmjow?" he asked, gazing up at the movie titles.

"I don't care. Pick whatever." The arrancar ruffled through his silky strands of hair, the other hand on his hip.

"Ah, okay then." Ichigo contemplated over the movies in his head. He surely didn't want to watch something in the genre of romance. There was humor, but he knew simple jokes from the Human World would only irritate his date. He wondered if he should watch action with him, but he knew if he did, it would only dampen his mood. Instead, he opted for horror.

With the tickets bought, and a bucket-load of popcorn ordered by the tyrant beside him, they entered the assigned movie theater, the ending credits flashing back into their eyes from the last time the movie aired. _They were definitely early,_he knew for a fact. "Where do you want to sit, Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked, peering at all of the available seats due to all of the people leaving.

"Somewhere with less irritating people." The orangette found himself rolling his eyes. He knew the arrancar would answer in that manner, but he guessed it was all right. He liked it better with less people anyway.

He climbed up a few steps, until he reached the very back, seating himself in a dark corner, Grimmjow taking the seat with him with an exasperated sigh. When they finally settled, the credits finally ended in its scroll, the entire theater black in its entirety and awkwardly silent. Ichigo stuffed a few chunks of popcorn into his mouth, hoping it would distract him from his nerves. He begged for the movie, or at least the trailers, to begin.

Grimmjow on the other hand was bored, situating his chin on his knuckles, staring blankly at the screen. "I thought you said this was fun."

A vein appeared on the teenager's cheek, his eyebrow twitching, showing his annoyance and discomfort with the situation. "The movie hasn't even started yet. A-and on dates, somebody has to initiate something anyway. Like a conversation and stuff," Ichigo explained with a blush bubbling on his face.

"That's all boring shit. What else are people supposed to do?" Grimmjow asked with the least bit of concern. "I came on this stupid thing because I wanted to fuck, not sit here watching words." At that abrupt moment, a few people began to enter the movie theater, couples and friends seeping in from almost nowhere to take seats. "Later on, I'm gonna fuck you so hard that it'll be the only thing you'll want to do this entire week."

Ichigo had to find a way to shut his date up. People were overhearing him explain his details, and he couldn't deny that he was beginning to get turned on by it. He knew he wouldn't listen if he told him to be quiet, and if he put a hand on his mouth, he'd likely get it bitten off. _He liked his hand where it was, thank you very much._"Ah, Grimmjow-" he began.

"What?" Grimmjow answered with venom, turning his head only to feel soft, petal-like lips collide with his own. A hand snaked down to his palm, Ichigo holding onto him as if he were pleading for Grimmjow. The Sexta Espada stared with the same expression he had met Ichigo's face with, frozen for a moment, and then thawing when it dawned on him that Ichigo took the initiative. The Strawberry inevitably spun his face a different direction where he was, cramming popcorn into his mouth with a blush overtaking his face.

The Espada tightened his fingers around his hand, knowing it would only intensify the boy's flush even further. _And what do ya know? It did._"J-just be quiet… okay?" As much as Grimmjow wanted to tease the orangette further, he knew the fun had just begun, and kept to himself. He sat back with a victorious "heh," somewhere in between, that infamous smile eating his unmarred face.

Eventually, the movie began with neither the two uttering a sound, everyone settled throughout the entire space, zoning in on the movie… except one couple. _And it just so happened to be right in front of them._The man and woman, seeming to be younger than they were, were eating each other's faces off, and Ichigo found himself revolted by the act. _Did the generation nowadays not give a fuck anymore?_He wasn't as disgusted more than he was nervous. Grimmjow could get ideas, and those ideas pretty much caused him near-death experiences each time.

"Ne, Ichigo…" He felt his spine tingle at the tone the arrancar used, spinning towards him robotically with bullets of sweat raining down his neck. Even though he tried to pull a façade of a totally well-together expression, he knew it wouldn't work and that the ex-Espada would only take pleasure in it.

"H-huh?" he questioned, when instantaneously his inquiry was answered with a forceful kiss on his mouth. Immediately, he grew embarrassed with the act and slid towards the wall behind him, trying to gain distance between the two of them, though it was limited to begin with. "W-what the hell was that for!" he asked in a flurry.

"Why is it only you that freaks the fuck out whenever one of us makes a move?"

"B-because, we're not supposed to do that stuff in public!" he squawked, the onlookers below glaring at him to be quiet. He exhaled a breath, attempting to calm himself at least a tad bit. "And besides, it's embarrassing…"

"So you're still embarrassed even when it's only us two? Man, you're a pussy." Grimmjow crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow in annoyance. Ichigo's fingers formed into a fist, veins popping up everywhere on his facial features, the fire within him igniting.

"Stop calling me a pussy. I'm not," he seethed.

"Heh, prove it," Grimmjow goaded. Ichigo instantly reeled back for a moment, knowing that the arrancar was only trying to manipulate him. If he somehow _did_prove it, he knew he'd be playing into his hands easily. _He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't do it. He wouldn't-_

"Fine." With a harsh tug on the blunet's collar, he smacked their lips together in a clash, tongues immediately battling for control, and teeth clanging. Instantly, he felt his chest being pushed towards the wall, and he found himself not caring much about it. "Mmph…" he moaned against the older male's mouth, knowing that he was fully defeated.

He never imagined he'd be in this type of situation at all. He'd always thought that he'd get married to a beautiful woman, and he'd raise strong children- _Wait, what the hell was he thinking?_It wasn't as if Grimmjow would be the only lover he'd have. For all he knew, they could break up… and he could find someone new… Abruptly, he felt his heart lose one beat, and his eyes reopened, seeing Grimmjow's face back away from his to allow him some air. Another beat of his heart caused him to take action, encircling his arms around the male's blue head of hair, pulling him closer to continue their lip-lock.

_Somehow, that thought of picking someone else other than…_ He couldn't bear that. Grimmjow, on the other hand, was confused as to why this boy was acting strangely. He didn't know why he was moving by impulse. The orangette wasn't thinking before doing something, and that in itself, was baffling. _But whatever; if he was so submissive now, he might as well… _Unlatching his hand from Ichigo's apricot hair, he wove it downwards on the boy's chest, tweaking a nipple, eliciting a sudden gasp from the Strawberry.

He smiled into the kiss, brushing past his abdominal muscles to caress the evident bulge on the teenager's pants. Ichigo stiffened from the sudden glide of fingers, quickly trying to undo himself from the advancing man, but to no avail. "G-Grimmjow… Stop!" he hissed, pushing against him with all his might.

"Ya like it, don't ya? That why you want me to stop?" Grimmjow purred in his ear, pulling the zipper downwards only to slip his hand underneath the flap of his pants.

"N-no! Lemme go! P-people will see!" Ichigo could already feel his face reddening from the act they were committing, being shushed immediately by a pair of lips on his neck.

"Stop worryin'. They won't if you just shut up," the arrancar whispered haughtily. With a gentle tug, his straining member came free, the orangette swiftly covering it with his hands.

"G-Grimm!" he exclaimed, as the arrancar began to pump his arousal. He pushed on the blue-haired's shoulders, his fingers gradually beginning to weaken from the blood flowing to his groin. He bit his lip, suppressing a moan that inevitably came. He hoped that everyone would pay attention to the blood and guts spewing on the screen instead of onto his shaking form. As his eyes focused on things other than Grimmjow's hands and face, he noticed the couple that was making out separate from each other. His eyes widened, and even through his hazy mind, he managed to push Grimmjow from him, Grimmjow crashing into another seat, before the couple could turn and look.

Without preamble, Ichigo stood to his feet, tucking his private anatomy in frenzy into his pants, passing many seats and finally reaching the doors. When he actually stood still, he felt his heart beating irregularly, his blush intensifying. And then he realized he left Grimmjow inside, and once the man came out, he knew he would be pissed. _He had to think of something before-_

"Why the hell did you run out like that!" the man bellowed. He cringed from the intensity of it, and glared behind him.

"Shut up. Y-you shouldn't have done that in the first place!" Ichigo reprimanded.

"Che, you're just a wuss." The ex-Soul Reaper narrowed his eyes at the mocker, before turning on his heel and beginning to walk. "Oi! Where the hell are you going?" Grimmjow blurted once he saw the retreating figure.

"It's obvious that if we go back in there, you're just gonna be more persistent." Ichigo speedily strode forward, not even glancing once behind him, stuffing his palms into his jacket's pockets.

"What makes ya think I wouldn't do anything even if we were in broad daylight?" Grimmjow smirked.

The boy suddenly came to the realization that that was _very_possible, but ignored the words, fighting off a furious flush. "S-shut up about that already. Don't you ha- oof!" Ichigo grunted when he smacked into someone.

"Ah!" From the sound of it, it sounded very feminine and familiar. "I-I'm so very sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!" The well-endowed woman bowed her head after quickly standing to her feet from her fall.

Ichigo blinked, before his motor actions came into play. "I-Inoue. What are you doing here?" Ichigo questioned in surprise. When Orihime straightened her back, and actually saw who she ran into, a blush encompassed her face, as she began to wave her hands in the air vigorously.

"I-I was just here to buy some groceries! I-I didn't mean to run into you like this, Kurosaki-kun!" She bowed once more in apology.

"Ah, well, it's all right. It's no big deal," Ichigo reassured, glancing downwards to see that she was indeed shopping and some of the things she bought had fallen out of the plastic. "Here, uh, I'll help," Ichigo offered.

"N-no, it's quite all right!" Orihime politely tried to decline.

"It's okay. I ran into you anyway," Ichigo relayed indifferently, kneeling to pick up some items only to give them to the apricot-haired female. Orihime immediately bent down to help him, not wanting him to do all the work. When all the scattered products were placed into the bag, she glanced up to finally notice the man behind her crush.

"Ah, Grimmjow-san. I-I didn't notice you were here. Good afternoon," she greeted, bowing once more.

"Keh, whatever," he answered rudely, glaring daggers at the harmless character. Orihime felt sweat pour down the nape of her neck at the force of the glower.

"U-uh, if you don't mind me asking, Kurosaki-kun, but what are you two doing here?" she asked quite nervously. When Ichigo's eyebrows rose, she instantly felt awful for asking. "I-I'm sorry! You don't have to answer that! It's really not my business!" she tried to amend. _She hoped Ichigo wasn't mad at her._

Ichigo had immediately frozen up at the question. It wasn't like he could say he and Grimmjow were on a date. _It'd be so embarrassing._"N-no, we were just-"

"We're on a_date_. Ya know. The types where lovers, or whatever the fuck you humans call it, go out and have fun. And you're ruining it. Come on, Ichigo." The ex-Espada tugged on the man's arm, hauling him to his feet.

"G-Grimmjow, what-"

"Now move aside before I do something you'll regret," he threatened, Orihime cowering in fear as she obeyed with a nod and stepped to the side. Without letting another second to pass, Grimmjow dragged the unrelenting Strawberry elsewhere. _Anywhere away from that bitch. Somehow, seeing them all buddy-buddy with each other unnerved him._Ichigo fought for his arm, something he was fairly used to now, a thing he merely gave up on in the process, but his mouth never halting from his complaints.

"Grimmjow! Why the hell did you talk to her like that? She fixes you up every time you're hurt. If she wasn't there, then you'd be-"

"Shut the hell up already. I didn't ask for her fucking help."

That did it for Ichigo. With a forceful yank, his arm was free, the arrancar rotating to glare at him. With a heavy exhale, he closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. "Grimmjow, I don't appreciate you talking about my friends like that."

"What? Ya want me to say I like them or something?" Grimmjow growled.

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo sighed.

"Wanna hear the truth? I hate all of you. You and your fucking friends and Soul Society. I don't care about what happens to you, Aizen, or that bitch with the big tits. You want me to lie about it? You sure as hell ain't gonna get it from me." Grimmjow saw how that girl stared at Ichigo. All he knew was that he didn't like it, and if he didn't like it, he didn't want it near him. _It felt like how she looked at him… was something he lacked._And he wasn't gonna sit around looking at it.

Ichigo stared up at the man in awe, and felt his heart split in two at what he had just said. _He knew it._He knew he shouldn't have been hoping for anything. _But in the end, he really did, didn't he?_ With clenched fists, and a heavy heart, he piled his thoughts together, hoping that maybe he would know the correct answer. "Maybe this really wasn't gonna work. I thought that maybe we had a slight chance at this, but it turns out I was wrong. You and I are two totally different people, and we have different views." At each word he voiced outwards, he sounded confident, but truthfully he was breaking down inside. "It's probably best if we-"

A crash from a nearby building was heard behind him, Grimmjow tackling him to the ground without a moment's hesitation. Pedestrians immediately took off from all sides, trying to get away from all of the damage, while Ichigo remained clueless. "Damn it! A hollow!" Grimmjow cursed, jumping to his feet. Instantaneously, Ichigo felt himself leap upwards, his eyes searching for it, but finding nothing. His fingers dug for his Substitute Shinigami badge, and when he realized that he was relapsing into his Soul Reaper routine, his heart skipped a beat.

"Ichigo! Get out of the way!" When he gazed upwards towards where Grimmjow's voice had come from, he froze in place, not knowing where the hollow was. For once in his life, he felt terrified. _More than how he usually had felt in battle._He didn't know where it would come next. He didn't know where it was. _He didn't know._When he felt a sudden wind lift his bangs, he knew the hollow was probably close to him and ready to take his life. "HAAH!" His ears perked up at the battle cry, his eyes dilating when he made out the body of Grimmjow in the air with a leg in the air, being brought down on something humongous and definitely tall.

_But invisible._

When the Sixth Espada landed on his feet, Ichigo stayed where he was. Somehow he couldn't tell where he was anymore. He didn't notice the injured building nearby. He didn't notice Grimmjow's approaching figure. And he hadn't noticed that he had fallen to his feet in defeat. He gripped at the concrete, his fingers shaking, and his eyes focused on the ground.

Grimmjow gazed at Ichigo's form. He knew the kid was probably mourning his loss once again. That of his Shinigami powers. "I-I'm-" the orangette began. When the Blueberry made out the tears wetting the road, he found himself slightly shaken by it. He never thought he'd see the day where the Soul Reaper would cry. Sure, the guy was a baby, but he just never imagined it would happen. "I'm weak… You're right, Grimmjow…" The more he stared at the young man, the more he saw him sink deeper into depression. He frowned at it.

"Without my Shinigami powers, I'm… I'm nothing. I'm just a feeble human! I couldn't even protect you from anything!" His fingers recoiled into his palms, shame quickly invading his system. Tears continuously fell from his eyes, and when he felt like his arms would give out from under him anytime soon, he felt his torso being pulled towards a sturdy chest. He was stunned, especially when he heard that gruff voice near his ear.

"Shut up. You look pathetic." He blinked for a few mere seconds, before he felt those arms encircled around him tighten even more. He couldn't do anything but rest his head on the man's shoulder; his arms lied limp beside him. "Why the hell are you crying like a pansy? Do you _really_want your ass kicked? God, you really piss me off." Even though the Espada had said that, it didn't have that usual bite to it.

"Where the hell is the Shinigami I wanna kill?" Ichigo's eyes widened from those words, more tears filling his eyes and dampening Grimmjow's shirt. "When you fought with me, you had this fucking determination in your eyes, and I just wanted to extinguish it 'cause it was so annoying. This cockiness that made me want to rip your balls off. Stop acting like you can't _do _anything. If you act like that, then you don't even deserve to be called my enemy."

"… Are you trying to cheer me up or piss me off?" Ichigo asked with a sniff.

"Stop your boo-hooing. Urahara's working on a solution; you'd know that if you stopped avoiding his place so much." Grimmjow wasn't that forgetful. Hats-and-clogs had pulled him aside the day before; when he had come up from the training grounds when Ichigo was taking a nap, and the blonde shopkeeper had ranted on and on about Ichigo's condition. Of course, he wasn't planning on telling the brat. He expected that Ichigo would go of his own accord, but he guessed he had to give the idiot a little push.

With a determined inhale, Ichigo unwrapped himself from his supposed lover, standing on his haunches. "I didn't expect you'd go this far to comfort me, Grimmjow."

"I wasn't trying to comfort you, asshole. I just hated looking at you being so petty," he lied. He didn't know an ounce about 'comforting' someone or 'bringing someone's hopes up.' But he sure as hell was gonna try.

"Grimmjow." Immediately, the arrancar heard the seriousness from him, and he shut his mouth, awaiting his lover's next words. "I want you to train with me. I'll only agree if you do." Grimmjow let the sentence roam his brain, before he came to a conclusion and scratched the back of his unruly hair.

"Fuck, you're really pissing me off. Whatever, just don't pull that girly shit on me again." At the comment, Ichigo found himself smiling, placing his fingers inside his jacket's pockets.

"… How about that zoo?"


	17. Chapter 17: Blue

**Thank-Woos: **Kid Darkness**/**skyglazingMaro**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**Narutopokefan**/**thinkbleach**/**AmbieLovina**/**xxlevantinexx

* * *

><p>Metamorphosis.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 17: Blue]**

His heavy footsteps echoed throughout the hall, reverberating back to his ears. _Satsugai. That fucking idiot. _He never did understand that child. He never sent orders for Satsugai to infiltrate into the World of the Living, but of course he still did. But he had to admit, it did them good as well.

Metal doors slid apart to welcome him in his master's dark abode, echoes still present throughout the room. He bowed before his commander, kneeling down to show his respect. "Shimo, what has brought you here?"

He brought his blue and purple eyes upwards, shifting onto the balls of his feet. "My apologies for interrupting you. But I bear good news." His master rubbed at his chin, then nodded as a gesture for him to continue. "Kurosaki Ichigo has lost his Shinigami powers, my lord." His white-stranded leader remained immobile, circling the wine glass in his hand with his index finger, as if contemplating this piece of information.

"This was when Satsugai confronted them?" he asked. Chujit nodded. "And the Espada, Halibel Tia, she is confined and taken care of?" Chujit bowed his head in approval. "All is going to plan, Shimo. We will soon regain what is rightfully ours."

"Yes, my lord," Chujit agreed. He avoided his master's golden, piercing eyes, focusing his own onto the tiling beneath his feet. He awaited his next command, staying rooted to his spot, one hand over his heart, and the other stiff by his side.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. He is the son of Kurosaki Isshin, I am presuming?" His master did not wait for another affirmation on the matter, situating his glass on a table beside his chair. "I want him captured. Do whatever you must to contain him. We mustn't lose this chance, understand Shimo?" White hair nearly touched the floor, as his master stood to roam the room and stand beside a window that viewed purple nothingness.

"Yes, my lord," Chujit obeyed. "What must I do once we capture him, sire?"

"Do not kill him. Just bring him. Soon enough, the Espada will arrive in no less than the time both of us can blink," he answered with his authoritative, deep voice.

"As you wish, Nii-sama." Slowly, his silver hair shrank upwards to his skull, darkening into a neon-orange color and styling into spikes. His skin tone tanned slightly, and his eyes glowed honey-nut. He stepped closer to his older brother, the light shining into his left eye, the fluorescence causing it to look blue- his original iris color. "I will capture Kurosaki Ichigo."

**XLXLXL**

"Push harder!" Ichigo growled.

"I'm trying, dipshit!" Grimmjow retorted.

"Ugh! Grimm, it's like I'm the only trying here! Guh!" Ichigo groaned from the hardness pressing against his fingers, trying with all his might to push.

"Ya know, I could use a little less whining and a little more work, Ichi!"

"Aaaaaah!" Ichigo shouted in the midst of his pushing, sweat pouring down his temples and accumulating in his armpits. He slumped to his knees, trying to catch his breath, Grimmjow standing beside him, fanning himself with his shirt.

"Well done, boys. Your first mission is complete!" Urahara congratulated, waving his usual fan beneath his stubbly chin. The two of them glared at Hats-and-Clogs, Ichigo dusting his pants as he stood to his feet. He fixed his glance on the metal contraption he had been pushing. The more he inspected it, the more it just looked like a telephone booth.

"What _is _this thing, Urahara-san?" Ichigo questioned, circling the invention with suspicion in his eyes.

"The invention that will restore your reiatsu!" the blonde male exclaimed, a huge smile eating his face. Grimmjow and Ichigo stared at him in a dead-pan, not believing a word he said. Urahara cleared his throat to begin his explanation. "Let me explain; every human has a soul, but not everyone's is polished to the point of being a Soul Reaper. You could train your soul to be more powerful, but that could take years. This contraption"-he knocked his hand on the metal framework-"can increase that power in less than a month."

"How's that?" Ichigo scratched at his hair in confusion.

Urahara raised his index finger to signal he was beginning yet another speech. "Right now, you are an average human, Kurosaki-san. Therefore, your spiritual particles are scattered about you. It is neither inside you or formed as a whole no longer. When you enter the machine, it will search your body to find as much spiritual particles that are dispersed around you. Once it has assembled enough, we can push the particles together and allow it to be restored in your body on its own. But, a word of caution- this procedure will be quite dangerous and you could very well lose your life altogether.

"I ordered you two to push it here in the farthest recesses of the training grounds so that just in case your body rejected your soul particles, it wouldn't shoot outwards and enter someone else's body. Take note that if your body _does_ reject it, it will repel it from ever entering, and your soul, which is your life force, will not be with you any longer. Are you willing to risk that… Kurosaki-san?" Urahara eyed the young male with his grayish-green eyes, as if testing him.

The young Kurosaki blinked, and not a moment longer, nodded with that familiar determination set in his brows and eyes. Urahara closed his eyes in understanding, traipsing over beside the machine, and pulling a lever to allow access inside it. "Do not touch anything, and remain still, Ichigo. You may breathe and blink; talk if you wish, but this will slightly slow the process down if you do so. I advise against it if you want the quickest results." Ichigo nodded in understanding, rotating behind him to share a quick glance with Grimmjow.

Urahara found the two staring at each other, and though he knew the two would never admit, he could see that they were both worried. "I'll let you two have your moment, and whenever you're ready, just call." He wasn't spared a glance as he walked away from the two men, smirking to himself although it was melancholy.

Ichigo stood before his blue-haired lover, faintly shaking inside, but guarding it on the outside. He veered his attention to the sandy ground, slightly making out his hand twitching every now and then. _Everything had to be dangerous, didn't it? _"What are you waiting for? Go in." The orangette directed his eyes to Grimmjow's face, not perturbed by the fact that the arrancar looked irritated. Ichigo sighed, sounding defeated.

"I just wanted to say thanks. If you hadn't told me about any of this, I don't think I would've been able to live with myself." His hands wanted to form into fists to cease their quaking, but he resisted it. He had to be stronger than that to be tempted to do the easy way. He turned towards the machine again, taking only a few baby steps before he felt warm, firm arms encircle him from behind, hugging his waist with so much constriction that he wondered how he could breathe.

Grimmjow's head rested on his shoulder, his breaths fanning his neck, as Ichigo blushed from the contact as well as accepted it. He brought his shaky hands towards Grimmjow's wrapped arms, hoping that it would finally halt his incessant trembling. But it was no use. He still quivered. _He had never been so scared about anything in his life. _If this didn't go to plan, he wouldn't be able to see his friends and family. _He wouldn't be able to see Grimmjow. _If his body rejected his soul's transfer, there was no way of ever restoring it.

"You'll be fine." With just those words, Ichigo felt like he could handle this. _He wouldn't give up. _No, he _couldn't. _It was only just beginning, this new life he was going to attempt to enter. And if worse came to worse, at least he could say he tried. But that didn't excuse the fact that he'd be literally claimed dead. There would be no Soul Society for him. No Rukia and the others. _Definitely _no Grimmjow.

He felt himself being spun around, only to be met with deep, azure eyes staring into his. He found that he couldn't move or twitch a muscle, and that he didn't mind that he couldn't. Lips neared his own, his eyelids closing, and the only touch of the world he had left was of Grimmjow's hands on his cheeks and those soft lips caressing his.

At that moment, he felt like he could really cry again. He didn't want to lose him, he kept thinking.A tongue prodded at his bottom lip, as he allowed entry upon it. The sixth Espada roamed his mouth, eliciting from him a slight whimper and moan, as his arms surrounded the taller male of its own accord. He gripped onto teal locks, not finding it in him to let go, but of course, he needed oxygen to breathe.

He released his boyfriend's lips, still in a high daze, when he was pulled back down to Earth from his cloud when Grimmjow leaned their foreheads together. "Go in. There's no way you'd die from something like this. You've escaped death fifty fucking times." Ichigo smiled, knowing that the blue-haired tyrant was concerned about him. He just hoped his other friends didn't find out about this until he actually regained his powers.

It would be more convenient that way, he thought. With an inhalation of breath, he stepped back from Grimmjow's soft yet rough touches, easing himself away until his backside met with the contraption's cool interior. "Urahara-san, I'm ready!" he called out. In no time at all, the blonde male was beside his newly invented machine, clicking buttons of all sorts on a screen implanted on the side.

The glass door was shut momentarily, and Ichigo blew out a breath of air he didn't know he was holding. He looked at Grimmjow and in his different shades of blue eyes; he saw determination reflected within them, Ichigo knowing that he should have that same expression pasted on his face. So… _he let go of his fear. _Things would go correctly. If anything were to go wrong with the situation, he knew Grimmjow would find a way to do something. _Anything. _He had no doubt in the world.

**XLXLXL**

The time Ichigo had spent inside that cube had been going on for a few hours now. Urahara had grabbed both of them chairs, watching Ichigo sleep inside it, as the machine hummed. Probably the cause of him lolling to slumber, Grimmjow thought. Honestly, Grimmjow was bored, but he knew he had to stay. There was just something wrong about going away from Ichigo right now. He frowned, as the shopkeeper sipped some of his tea.

The old man was being so calm about everything. He wondered why. He leaned over his knees, slouching in his chair as he clasped his hands together. "Grimm-kun, is something the matter?" The ex-Espada remained unmoving, his vigilance over Ichigo's body inside that damn apparatus. He sighed, mussing his hair and face, turning towards the former Captain of Seireitei, or so he'd heard.

"It bothers me. How weak he's become that he has to resort to this bullshit." He rotated his upper body towards Ichigo once again, finding it hard to look away for just one second. "I wanna kill him, but my reasons are all jumbled up and it's screwing with me." As he continued voicing his words outwards, his frown only grew deeper. Urahara sipped on the side of his cup, eyeing the man wearily and trying to read him at the same time.

"Maybe your context of wanting to 'kill him' is different now," he suggested. Grimmjow scoffed.

"What the hell are you talking about? Of course I want to kill him. That's never going to change."

Urahara gulped down the last drops of his tea, setting the cup beside him on the sandy ground. "Let's role play, Grimm-kun!" Urahara clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

"Ah?" Grimmjow questioned, one eyebrow rising in suspicion.

"If someone were to kill Ichigo, what would you do?"

"That's not possible, because I'm the only one who'll kill him," Grimmjow answered without a moment's hesitation. The ex-Captain of Squad 12 nodded in comprehension.

"Let me rephrase that. What if Ichigo were to _die?_ What would you do, then?"

The arrancar remained silent, his eyes focused on Ichigo alone as he thought silently about what to say. "He won't die 'cause I won't let him." Urahara sighed in defeat. There was no use in talking with this man. He always thought he could control everything without anyone else's say so. In fact, he wondered why Ichigo even picked him from all the rest. But he guessed that was for Ichigo to decide, and for him alone. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. _He won't die 'cause I won't let him. _Did the man seriously think that he could control death?

It was an absurd thought. But this was Grimm-kun he was talking about. With this man, anything was possible. He smiled, sipping on his tea only to find out it was empty and he had to ask Tessai to brew more.

Eventually, this man would learn that everything would not go his way. That everything had its own plan.

**XLXLXL**

"Haaah…" Ichigo stretched an arm behind him, the setting sun in his periphery. _How long had he been inside that thing? _He didn't know, nor was he gonna ask. But at least it was over with. "Thanks again, Urahara-san," Ichigo spoke with gratitude. Urahara just waved his fan in nonchalance.

"It was no problem. You've done so much more for me, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara smiled, his hat shrouding his wolfish eyes, his usual getup. "Come back tomorrow to begin another session." Ichigo nodded in understanding, and without much thought at all, slipped his hand into Grimmjow's and they were on their merry way. For some reason, Ichigo had gotten over the fear of being caught with Grimmjow like this. Frankly, he didn't care what people thought anymore.

And it showed, as they waltzed by other couples who eyed them with disdain. He really didn't know what had gotten into him. It was very uncharacteristic of Kurosaki Ichigo. They passed by that same zoo they went to a few weeks ago, and indeed, Grimmjow played with the tigers like the idiot he was. He had swung his legs over the freakishly tall fence, and bounded inside, the security barging in wearing all these gadgets just in case the tigers attacked them.

Luckily, the tigers backed away without much of a fight, knowing that what was in front of them wasn't a normal human being. Ichigo had just watched from the sidelines, not even half surprised as he had first thought to be. He knew that that was bound to happen, so he just let it run its course. Fortunately, he was able to explain to the guards that Grimmjow was mentally ill, so it would be no use if they threw him in jail for violation against the park's rules. Of course, Grimmjow punished him for such a lie later on when they got home, and the morning after was much the same from the day before.

Only this time, his dad just collapsed on the floor, with Yuzu poking him to wake him. Ichigo couldn't care less about the old goat's antics. He knew that what he and Grimmjow did behind his bedroom's walls and door weren't exactly innocent, but nothing ever was. So he just continued, and let life lead him wherever it pleased. He briefly wondered if that was the cause of his holding hands with Grimmjow, but thought nothing of it.

This was a preordained event that they had to eventually cross over in their relationship, though he still wouldn't go as far as to have sex in public. It was a slow progress, but he liked the way things were headed. "Grimmjow, we should do something later this week." His lover turned bewildered eyes onto him, surprised that Ichigo would actually bring this up_. The last so-called date they had been on had ended in disaster,_ he quoted for Ichigo in his head.

"What's the occasion?" he asked.

Ichigo shrugged. "I've been meaning to ask again. I just didn't know when I would be free."

Grimmjow merely rolled his neck around. "Whatever. You know what I want at the end of the day."

Ichigo sighed, growing agitated by those words. "Isn't there something else you want other than sex?" the orangette asked with a little bit more venom on his tone than he had planned. "I mean, there are other things we could do other than screw like rabbits." The young Kurosaki scratched at his head in frustration, situating a hand on his waist.

"Other than killing you, there's nothing else."

"Why do you always talk about killing me?" Ichigo felt like punching the man to death, but of course, that's exactly what the Espada would enjoy.

"Because that's what I've always wanted from the start." Grimmjow stuffed his other hand into his pocket, exhaling an irritated breath. Ichigo caught this, and glowered at him, yanking his hand out of the ex-Espada's.

"All right, then. Since you wanna fight me so badly, let's fight. No talking, no touching, and _no sex,_" Ichigo emphasized, crossing his arms and walking ahead of the male.

"The fuck you say?" Grimmjow seethed through clenched teeth, catching up with him to grip onto his shoulder. The teenager just shrugged his hand off, continuing on his way. The blue-haired growled, shoving the student against a wall, earning from him nothing but an intense glare. Ichigo just pushed his arms away, treading onwards without his lover's consent.

Ichigo opened the door into his warm abode, both of them dodging Isshin's welcome-home kick by moving to the side to progress into the kitchen. "Oh, no! Onii-chan, can you do me a favor?" Yuzu asked, rushing towards him as he sat himself down at the table.

"Oh, sure, Yuzu, what is it?"

"I forgot to get some of the ingredients for tonight's dinner!" She handed him a list of vegetables she was missing, as he read through them all. "Can you go to the store to get them?" Yuzu begged with hands clasped. Ichigo smirked.

"Sure. I wanted to go out anyway," he agreed, pointedly looking at Grimmjow, as the arrancar crossed his arms, and stared right back. Karin didn't fail to notice the static the two shared, and merely shook her head at their lover's spat. Ichigo took to his feet, barely giving another glance to his boyfriend before marching out and stepping over his dad's crumpled body on the floor to get to the door.

When Grimmjow heard the click of the door, he scratched at his hair in aggravation and stood to his feet. "Call me whenever dinner's ready."

"Sure," Karin mumbled, thumping her finger on the table. She definitely didn't understand gay love, if she ever saw one. She watched her brother's lover climb the steps up to Ichigo's room, wondering if she should title it _their_ room now. She just shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on her chair. Not like it was her problem.

**XLXLXL**

_Damn Grimmjow. _He kicked a rock in his path, both hands in his pockets as he continued towards the store. The man had to _always _think about sex and fists. Couldn't it be anything else? He sighed up at the heavens, wondering why romance was hard to come by with that guy. He imagined himself in a situation where Grimmjow would kiss him and whisper sweet things in his ear, and at the thought, he found himself shivering with intensity. He _really _couldn't imagine Grimmjow doing that to him. _Ever._

He didn't want Grimmjow in the terms of a romantic boyfriend. But it'd be nice if the man could think about anything else other than sex. Whenever he thought back to the nights they… _did it_… it kinda made him uncomfortable. He just never thought he'd see himself act like the way he did with Grimmjow. So wanton and so girly. It made him sick to his stomach, but it wasn't as if he could react any other way during those times. Not like he could control his reactions.

He dug his fingers through his tangerine locks, fed up with the same thoughts that repeated every other day. He heard the _ding-ding _of the doors opening, as he entered the small store near his house, list in hand.

**XLXLXL**

Grimmjow trudged up the stairs, pissed about the whole ordeal. Who was that fucking bitch to tell him they wouldn't have sex? He didn't need permission. _He could fucking take it whenever he wanted!_ He entered the boy's room, making himself at home by lying down in the position he always preferred. Downstairs, he heard the door open, and raised an eyebrow at how fast Ichigo had returned.

"Ah, Onii-chan, back so soon? Oh, where are the groceries?" the idiot's sister asked.

"Sorry, I just forgot something," he heard Ichigo say. Footsteps towards the room were heard as Grimmjow placed his arms behind his head. _Maybe the boy would apologize to him now._ The door opened, and there stood his lover, smiling and approaching, only this time he turned the lights off.

"Oi, what'd ya do that for?" he asked, sitting up the slightest bit. The moonlight flooded in the room, Ichigo's form approaching him on the bed until he was straddling him. He could faintly make out the moonlight's fluorescence reflecting into Ichigo's, for one minute seeming to be blue, until his boyfriend leaned down on his chest and kissed him slowly and softly. It was only natural that he'd respond back, nipping at the lips presented before him.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo moaned, grinding his hips over the arrancar's and earning him a satisfied grunt. "Make love to me…"

**XLXLXL**

Ichigo had finally gotten all the ingredients on the list, though he did have some trouble finding them all. He wasn't very familiar with the store's aisles, considering how he rarely came there. As he exited the store, he noticed how full the moon looked and how nice it would've been if he and Grimmjow could bask in its glory. He sighed, spinning towards home with the bought goods in his hands.

As he continued walking, he found that with each step he took, he felt down. In almost every corner, he could see all these couples and they looked so happy. He wondered why it wasn't the same with him. _What was missing? _"I love you, Ami," a man to his side declared. The girl he was holding smiled, and reciprocated with a kiss and an "I love you" back. His eyes dilated at the sight. Was _that _what was missing? _Love?_

He put himself in their shoes. And… _Grimmjow saying it to him… _he shuddered. He veered his eyes to the ground, his brows furrowing. _No, a simple thing like that was not what he was hoping for. Not at all. _He gripped the plastic bag in his hand tighter, continuing on his merry way… _when he felt like he was being followed._

He tried to look behind him with his eyes alone, but of course he couldn't see with just that. So he pivoted his head, heart thudding in his chest, and was glad to find nothing. He pursed his lips, knowing that what he felt wasn't for naught. There had been something following him. _He just knew it. _Instead, he just chose to keep moving forward. It wasn't like he couldn't defend himself.

And then he saw it. A black feather drifting down in front of him. Instantly, his eyes searched the heavens and the atmosphere around him, not making out any sign of a person. _But of course he couldn't see them! _His Soul Reaper qualities were gone, and he was weaponless towards this opponent following him. He _had _to get home quickly. Or just run to Urahara's. It was close by, and he was sure Urahara could ward off whatever was stalking him.

He rounded the corner, and he immediately spotted the former squad captain's house, speeding up even faster. Luckily, Urahara's doors were open and the man was sipping on some tea, watching the moon. "URAHA-"

**XLXLXL**

Grimmjow spun Ichigo onto his back, fondling the body beneath him, naked and sweating. He was glad that Ichigo finally had some sense knocked into him. But it was strange. Ichigo wasn't hesitating whatsoever. That was definitely different. "Ah, Grimmjow…" he moaned, as he swooped down beneath his neck and claimed it his. _And he sounded different, too. _

It was as if his voice had gotten a tad bit higher. Sure, he liked it when Ichigo screamed, but it was his voice altogether. _Something was off. _"Grimmjow, please, take me…" He stared at the man below him, raising himself by his arms, the moonlight rushing in through the window and shining over Ichigo. _And there it was again. _A blue eye.

Last he checked, Ichigo didn't have a blue eye. It was light brown 24/7. "Is something wrong, Grimmjow?" The more he looked, the more it was foreign to him. "Come on, Grimmjow, don't keep me waiting." Ichigo fluttered his eyelids, extending his neck and leaving his mouth agape, to what was his best way to seduce him. The Espada's brows knitted together.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked with poison on his tongue. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at him, sitting up to bestow him a kiss on his cheek.

"What are you talking about, Grimmjow? It's me, Ichigo…" he blew into his ear.

Grimmjow eyed him carefully. "I thought you said you didn't want sex."

He felt the body underneath him stiffen the tiniest amount. "Well, I changed my mind. You were too good to resist," he answered with a lick to his neck. Grimmjow's frown grew even deeper. Immediately, he pushed the man away from him, his body exposed to the moonlight, and indeed, that blue eye showed up bright and clear.

"Where the fuck is Ichigo?" he growled out. The man who retained the form of his beloved glared at him, immediately replacing it with a smile as he leaned against a wall.

"Grimmjow, what has gotten into you? _I'm _Ichigo," he insisted.

"Bullshit. Ichigo doesn't sweet talk. He never has and he isn't now," Grimmjow contradicted. "Now tell me where the fuck he is."

**XLXLXL**

Urahara had decided it was that time of the month where he would sit on his porch and just stare at the moon. _Ah, it was a wonderful night. _Tessai sat beside him, holding a pot of newly brewed tea. He was sure he was getting addicted to it, no, definitely addicted to it now. He barely got relaxation as it was, so it was good to kick back once in a while.

And then he saw a familiar form running towards his shop. He squinted his eyes through the darkness, dampened a bit that the moon wasn't enough of a light source to identify this man. "URAHA-" that familiar stranger called out. And when he finally _did _see who it was, from that voice and those orange spikes, something had taken him to the air.

Urahara scurried to his feet, and when he was finally out in the open, he couldn't see a thing. No Ichigo. No nothing. "What did I just drink?" He scratched at his hair, and peered into the cup, wondering if Tessai mixed anything weird in it.

"Boss," Tessai alerted him with his gruff voice, kneeling down on the ground to inspect something. Urahara quickly gazed over his shoulder, seeing all the proof he needed. Right there in front of them was a black feather. And it just proved to him that he definitely did _not_ hallucinate Ichigo flying over his shop. _That was all real. _Ichigo was just kidnapped by a Tenshi no Namida.


	18. Chapter 18: An Army of Me

**Thank-Woos: **Kid Darkness**/**Loreto W**/**Misc. Ink**/**Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo**/**ichigi111kurosaki**/**skyglazingMaro**/**Narutopokefan**/**AmbieLovina**/**Yumi-nachan**/**The Fictoral Explorer**/**Guest

* * *

><p>"He won't die, 'cause I won't let him."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Nine Lives<strong>

**By Curiosity Killed Kristy**

**[Chapter 18: An Army of Me]**

The man in front of him laughed. It was sinister, and it made Grimmjow's stomach churn. Grimmjow growled. "I said tell me where the fuck he is!" he demanded yet again. The man halted in his laughter, and focused heartless sepia eyes into electric-blue ones, a look of apathy and arrogance mixed in one plastered on his face.

"Hmph," he scoffed, sitting closer to the window and allowing air in by pushing it open. The moonlight flooded without any barricade, and that's when Grimmjow grew absolutely sure that this man was not Ichigo. The light hit this suspicious male's left eye, and it shown blue like what he had first expected. "We underestimated you, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." The orange spikes atop his head began to fade into silver from the roots, the fine hairs growing till it reached his lower back. "You know Kurosaki Ichigo better than we thought you did."

The ex-Espada narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired stranger tugging at the clothes he was once wearing. When the man opened his eyes, he finally recognized who he was. Grimmjow's eyes widened from the astonishment, feeling his heart slightly sink. A blue eye and purple eye stared at him, a smug grin making its way upon the man's porcelain face. "I gather you remember who I am, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." The transformed male stood to his feet, flipping a section of his silver hair behind him. "I am Chujit Shimo, a Fallen Angel second-in-command."

Grimmjow stared at this magnificent creature bathed in moonlight in complete and utter shock. It was that Fallen Angel who had stopped Sengoku's boomerang sword from ever cutting him that one night they had invaded Karakura Town. In merely a second, Grimmjow had Chujit pinned against a wall; a venomous glare pointed straightly at the Tenshi no Namida's indifferent face. "What did you with Ichigo?" he pressed.

"It wouldn't matter if I told you either way. Kurosaki Ichigo has simply… disappeared…" Chujit whispered softly, his breath fanning against Grimmjow's lips.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Grimmjow tightened his grip even further around the Fallen Angel's neck, irritated by the fact that the angel barely looked like he was suffering a tiny amount.

"It means that the mission is complete." Abruptly, Grimmjow was thrown against an adjacent wall, Chujit's foot pressing harshly against his core. The blunet coughed from the sudden impact, and the digging ankle boot against the middle of his chest. "Our master wants you, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I'm sure you're already well aware of that. And nothing would make him happier than to receive you this instant. But… the fact of the matter is that you're in a Gigai, and I cannot just simply grab your collar and take my leave with you."

Chujit grabbed hold of Grimmjow's chin, turning his head so they could stare eye to eye. "Know this, _Sixth Espada_, wherever your precious Shinigami has gone, keep in mind that he is neither _here_ nor _there_, and that he will not be treated with the kindness you and the rest of your friends have been showing him…" Chujit Shimo eased his foot from the hacking Espada, the shirt he wore ripping from the back as his wings began to take form and unfold.

Black feathers drifted around him and showered him, the Tenshi no Namida edging closer to the window and taking a step foot beyond it. With one last glance at Grimmjow, he flew into the sky, leaving the arrancar with himself and his processing thoughts.

**XXXX**

Grimmjow rubbed at the spot where Shimo's foot had been shoved against, hoping that it would erase any remnants that the Fallen Angel had left on him. Hoping that it would obliterate the feeling of being beneath someone's level and rank. He balled his hands into fists, punching a nearby wall in his annoyance. He massaged at his eyelids and forehead, feeling the creases smooth out.

And yet, throughout all of this, minutes had ticked on by, and he still couldn't quite register everything that had occurred. Or rather, he just didn't want to believe it.

"_He will not be treated with the kindness you and the rest of your friends have been showing him…"_

He ran a warm hand through his teal hair. They could do whatever they wanted with Ichigo. They could even _kill _him. The mere thought nearly ripped the skin where his nails met, and caused his vision to redden. He wouldn't allow any of those bastards to touch Ichigo. _He_was the only one permitted to touch Ichigo; the only one able to kill him. With his mind made up, he charged to his feet, grabbed a random shirt and pants, and raced downstairs and to the door.

He vaguely heard Yuzu call out to him, but there was no time to explain where he was going, nor did he want to explain. He knew where he had to go, and what he needed to do.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo has simply… disappeared…"_

Ichigo wasn't gone. He wouldn't be gone as long as Grimmjow was involved.

**XXXX**

Urahara approached Tessai, examining the feather he was holding between his fingertips. Tessai handed the delicate evidence over to him, Urahara twirling the feather in his hand. _There was no doubt about it. This was a Tenshi no Namida's feather. _"Tessai-san, I think it would be best if we took this in for closer inspection." Tessai nodded in agreement, and just as they were about to enter his homely abode, Urahara heard his name being desperately called out by yet another familiar voice.

"Hmm?" he inquired, spinning around only to be met with a speeding Grimmjow headed in his direction. The blunet quickly wrapped two hands into the shopkeeper's clothes, shaking him about as if he were a ragdoll. "G-Grimm-kun!" Urahara gasped.

"Ichigo was taken by those bastards!" Grimmjow informed, continuously shaking the former 12th squad captain.

"I assure you that I know already, Grimm-kun!" Urahara raised his index finger to explain, but still, the Espada repeatedly shook him.

"Then fucking do something, and find him!" Grimmjow ordered.

"I will, but first you must unhand me, Grimm-kun!" Tessai quickly made a beeline towards Grimmjow, and unpeeled him from his boss with a shove that he probably put too much force into. Grimmjow thrust the assistance's palm away from his body, his anger flaring.

"Don't fucking touch me! And you!" Grimmjow pointed an accusing finger at the blonde shopkeeper who looked mildly confused. "What the hell are you doing examining a feather when you could be looking for Ichigo right now?" Tessai remained standing between the two of them, Urahara now slightly surprised, the shock evident in his eyes.

The two stayed silent, one staring with astonishment and the other with fire burning in his cerulean eyes. The silence was only disturbed when Urahara let out a fit of giggles, Grimmjow's eyes narrowing even further in fury. "What the fuck's so funny, hats-and-clogs?" he asked with venom in his voice.

Urahara wiped a feigned tear from his eye. "Oh nothing, Grimm-kun. It's just that…" Urahara began, turning to walk towards his house. "It seems that you have just begun to worry for Kurosaki-san's sake… Or maybe you started worrying a long time ago." Urahara had expected that Grimmjow would retaliate with some sort of denial, some type of rude comment on the ex-Substitute Shinigami. Or maybe even say that he only wanted to kill Ichigo.

But instead, Grimmjow stood there, brows stitched together in his usual scowl, eyes lit with flames. "Does it fucking matter?" Grimmjow took a step forward, and in one swift movement, had Urahara's shirt bundled in one fist. "You heard me say it before. Ichigo won't die _'cause I won't let him._" For a moment, Urahara actually saw raw fear in Grimmjow's eyes but yet this fear was something else… It was a fear only few men had. Bravery. Because without fear, there would be no thing such as bravery. No such thing as determination. No such thing as strength.

When the message finally woke in Urahara something he hadn't felt since Ichigo was willing to save Rukia Kuchiki from Soul Society, he picked the sixth Espada's fingers off of his shirt. "I understand," he said softly. With this, Grimmjow's shoulders slightly relaxed, although the tenseness was still evident. "There _is _a way to find Kurosaki-san. But I ask you one thing, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques…" Urahara turned his grayish-green eyes over at the arrancar, searching for any hesitation whatsoever. "Are you willing to sacrifice everything for Kurosaki-san? 'Cause if you aren't… I'll be forced to stop you. No matter how much you want to go after him."

Urahara examined the feather in his hands, turning it over and over between his fingers. "The Tenshi no Namida want _you, _Grimmjow-san. _Not _Ichigo. From all the events that have just happened, from me seeing Kurosaki-san captured and with you meeting with one of 'em, I would say that they planned this all out so that when Ichigo noticed he was being followed, he would run here. And knowing that you two have a strong bond, they would use him against you. Do you realize that everything here was set up so that you would follow them?

"If you truly want to save him, you will put your life on the line… because if they capture you… you will be putting _everyone _on the line. Do you understand that, Grimmjow-san?" Grimmjow stared with the same scowl, unperturbed by everything that was just laid out in front of him.

"I don't fucking care what I have to do. Do you seriously think that I'd allow Ichigo to die? That I would actually get _captured _by those motherfuckers? HA! You underestimate me, old man," Grimmjow chuckled. "I'm going to get Ichigo back and I'm going to be alive while I'm doing it." Urahara analyzed his figure, trying to catch any sign of reluctance. But there was none. There stood Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, ranked sixth in the Espada, personifying exactly that of violence.

Urahara sighed. "Very well then. I will let you save Kurosaki-san, but on one condition." Urahara held up a finger in demonstration. "You will give me thirteen days."

"Ah?" Grimmjow asked, rather dumbfounded.

"Three days to locate Kurosaki-san, seven days to open the Precipice World, and three more days to train you," Urahara explained.

"I don't need to be fucking trained!" Grimmjow protested.

"Oh, don't you? You do realize that you still have the Tamishi Sutabiraiza," the shopkeeper reminded.

"And?"

"_And, _that means that you will be going weaponless. Even if you swing Pantera around, it won't do you any good. As long as your spiritual energy is compressed into that bracelet, you'll only be swinging a regular sword, akin to that of a wooden sword against a Fallen Angel. I am going to teach you how to fight without swords. I am going to teach you… how to use to _Kido._"

**XLXLXL**

He hadn't thought it would've been so easy.

"_Do whatever you want; so long as Ichigo stays alive."_

That arrancar really _had _grown to care. It had been two days since that conversation in front of his shop, and since then, Urahara had been trying to trace whatever small amount of reiatsu he could detect from Ichigo, and Grimmjow had been training below his shop. Although Ichigo's spiritual energy was nearly nonexistent, that small session they had with his new invention had to have somehow returned some of his spiritual energy. The computer in front of him scoured for Ichigo's last trail, and he was beginning to think that the Fallen Angels might've taken him to a different country altogether when the computer bleeped back at him. Red and clear.

It was blinking over a shrine.

And this little piece of information told him everything. He knew what to do next.

**XLXLXL**

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was not pleased. He had been so flooded with his searching in the Precipice World that he wasn't able to keep an eye on the Espada. Each time he checked updates in the Dangai, it was only nothing. By now, he really would've thought that it _was _nothing. But something felt strange. He knew that even though he couldn't see what was passing through the Precipice World, something still was. Something that no one could detect, not even him.

His reverie was interrupted by a series of rings. "Nemu, hand me the telephone." His daughter bowed and quickly made to retrieve it. When the device was finally in his hand, he raised it to his ear.

"LONG TIME NO TALK, KUROTSUCHI-SAN!" With the fit of outburst on the other end, he knew _exactly _who had called him.

"Urahara Kisuke! You have some nerve calling me! Are you finally admitting defeat and allowing me to kill you?"

Urahara chuckled nervously over the phone. "No, no, nothing of the sort. I just called to tell you something…" _Hmm? _Mayuri thought. He listened in intently. "Your research on the Precipice World. I have a feeling you'll be pleased with what you'll hear."

Mayuri had immediately taken to his feet when Urahara had told him everything. If everything that man had said was true, the Gotei 13 had to take action. Those Fallen Angels were close. Closer than everyone thought. Closer than _he _had thought. And now they have Kurosaki Ichigo. Not to mention that his lover, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques, was going to go after him. That would endanger everyone not only in the Soul Society, but also in the World of the Living. And if the sixth Espada was caught… _his studies would be ruined. _

He wouldn't allow it. The doors swung open when he arrived, all of the twelve captains in the room, and the Head Captain staring straight at him. "Kurotsuchi-taichou, what was so urgent that you had to call upon this meeting?" Mayuri's painted eyebrows knotted together, the corners of his lips forming a deep frown.

"The Fallen Angels are closing in on Soul Society."

**XLXLXL**

Grimmjow was working his ass to the bone. That stupid shopkeeper had told him to build up his stamina and shit. As if he _needed _to. He was already strong enough. _But who said that getting stronger was such a horrible thing?_ He hurled another rock into a builder, the boulder cracking in the middle and finally collapsing. He heaved through his mouth, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

Urahara had taken him out of his Gigai, and he had to admit, it felt great to be walking around without any restrictions. He felt less heavy, somehow. He rotated his shoulder, preparing himself for another punch. Once he did so, blood wept from his knuckles, but he chose to ignore it and continue on. He had to get Ichigo back. He couldn't really explain why that was so.

Every time he thought of Ichigo, he would remember that night where the Fallen Angel was talking shit about how they'd treat Ichigo. His mind would wander and he would see Ichigo getting beaten up, helpless and pathetic. He had never seen Ichigo like that. Even while he was stronger, faster, and just all out _better _than Ichigo while being an Espada, the boy had beaten him. And as he had lain there in the sand of Las Noches, his mind would wander to that kid. The one with orange hair. Ichigo Kurosaki.

And that's when he had realized it. Grimmjow _respected _him. _Looked up to him. _And that's why he loathed him so much. He vowed to get stronger. _So much stronger that he would surpass Ichigo Kurosaki._ And Ichigo would be the one looking up at _him._ He would be the one to _protect_ Ichigo. It wasn't gonna be the other way around ever again. Not like when Ichigo allowed him to live and didn't finish him off. Not like when he defended him against Nnoitra. Not like when he put the Tamishi Sutabiraiza on him and looked with sympathetic eyes. _Never again._

"RRRAH!" The boulder smashed in different directions with his fist alone, his knuckles bleeding even more than before. As his chest puffed with every breath he took, he stared at his own hand and with clear promise; he vowed that he would save Ichigo with this very hand. The hand closed into a fist, the conviction ringing clear in his mind. As he was going in for another lunge at a rock, he was interrupted by a few claps behind him.

He rotated with an irritated glance, his eyes landing upon the shopkeeper. "What?" he asked with annoyance clear in his tone. Urahara just smiled at him, and seeing that the man had nothing to say, he returned to his training, smashing rocks yet again.

"I see that you've been putting your all into all of this…" Urahara gestured around the training grounds. Grimmjow continued ignoring him, each punch heightening in strength. "Soul Society, no, the _Head-Captain _wants to speak with you, Grimmjow-san." Once the arrancar heard his name being called with that honorific, he stopped; turned around.

"What for?" he questioned with suspicion.

"He knows what _they_ want… and what _you _want." Urahara paused to let Grimmjow soak it in. Grimmjow inhaled and exhaled with great effort to calm himself down.

"Who the hell gives a fuck?" he gritted through his teeth as delicately as he could, though it only worsened the intensity he was trying to diminish.

"Grimmjow-san, you do realize that if you deny this meeting, Ichigo is much closer to death," Urahara stated. When Grimmjow halted in that instance, Urahara knew he would agree. And as much as Urahara could see that Grimmjow did not want to go back to Soul Society, he could also see that Grimmjow knew that he had to, his fist shaking by his side.

"… Fine," Grimmjow seethed.

**XLXLXL**

After the preparation for the Precipice World was finally accessible, the morning straight after, Grimmjow was standing in front of the gate, Zanpaktou in hand, and Shinigami attire donned on him. Urahara had insisted that he wore Shinigami robes instead of his Espada ones to state that he was no longer an enemy. Grimmjow, of course, felt otherwise. But in the end, he knew he it was the best thing to do, as much as he hated it.

"See ya, hats-and-clogs," Grimmjow muttered beneath his breath, although sincerity was not detected anywhere in his words. As he stepped forward, Urahara stopped him with his cane tapping on his shoulder. "Ah?" Grimmjow turned his head to see what the old man wanted.

"Do you want to know the easiest way of unlocking the Soul Stabilizer?" Grimmjow's eyes thinned a considerable amount in curiosity. "If you ever encounter Ichigo and have to fight a Tenshi no Namida… tell him…"

Grimmjow blinked, and then nodded in understanding. He knew that Urahara was almost always right, so there was no need to question it further. With one last wave over his shoulder, Grimmjow stepped into the Precipice World. _Time to greet that old fart that brought me into all of this shit._

**XLXLXL**

When he had stepped foot into Soul Society, he half expected everyone to ambush him. Instead, two familiar men were standing in front of him, both of them looking as displeased as he was. "Heh, baldy and feather boy. Haven't seen the both of ya in months. I was hoping that I never would again." Grimmjow trudged between the two of them, said two glaring at him.

"Ahh? Who do you think you are, runnin' your mouth off like that!" Ikkaku shrieked.

"That's right! And these are not feathers! Anyone with a fashion sense can see that!" Yumichika objected.

Grimmjow stopped in his tracks, and tilted his head back to look at the sky, and then towards them. The two waited impatiently for an apology but instead, they were presented with an "I don't give a damn." Grimmjow sighed, and scratched at his scalp. "I only came here for one reason… and that's to get this stupid meeting over with so I can save Ichi," and with that, Grimmjow was off towards the Head-Captain's office.

Yumichika blinked in surprise, while Ikkaku scratched at his head. "Damn, stupid shit like this piss me off the most…" he mumbled beneath his breath. Yumichika remained silent, watching the sixth Espada's back retreat further and further away.

"Ikkaku…" he called out. The 3rd seat turned his eyes over at his best friend, Zanpaktou patting his shoulder. "He seems different… somehow," he commented. Ikkaku raised an eyebrow, and followed Yumichika's eyes over to the arrancar, and tried to see what it was that was so _different. _He sighed, following behind Grimmjow.

"I don't see shit."

Yumichika stared with slight disbelief, but followed nonetheless. Meanwhile, Grimmjow was treading onward with irritation creeping up his skin yet again. He _really _didn't want to be here. He just wanted to go kick some asses and take Ichigo back. But, Urahara told him to just hear the Head-Captain out, and then once it was over, he would return to the World of the Living, and Urahara would tell him what to do next and where to go.

But the bastard hadn't given him an inkling of where those Fallen Angels were hiding. And the way he was now- he steered his eyes towards the bracelet on his wrist- he wouldn't have the luck of finding Ichigo at all. So he had to cooperate. When they finally reached the Head-Captain's doors, the two Shinigami allowed him inside, and waited in front of the doors to probably escort him back later like a child. When he entered, he felt the immediate static in the air, and how it would've pushed him down if he were not so used to Aizen's spiritual pressure from back then.

They stared at each other, Yamamoto and Grimmjow, thoughts roaming their minds. And the first to break it was Grimmjow. "So, what'd ya call me here for?" The Head-Captain continued to stare at him, and after a while, he nodded.

"So you are the infamous sixth Espada in Sousoke Aizen's army. The one who battled against our Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo." Grimmjow turned an angry glare at Yamamoto who didn't acknowledge it.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You are aware that the Fallen Angels want you, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques?"

"So what?"

"And you also want to save Kurosaki Ichigo from them, correct?" Grimmjow only continued to stare in answer, affirming Yamamoto's beliefs. "In that case, you are not prohibited to find Kurosaki Ichigo. Not until more information has been collected." In that moment, Grimmjow's body stiffened, and finally, the anger within him unclasped.

Because of that, he began to laugh. Laugh until it echoed right back at him and he heard the insanity and sarcasm dripping from it. "You're… Telling me…" he laughed. "That I can't go save Ichigo? Have you taken your nap yet, Grandpa? Your brain fried, 'r somethin'?" He continued to guffaw. "You wanna boss me 'round when you're not even my boss? That's fucking hilarious, old man! Your head's full of that shit, ain't it?" He gripped at his forehead, trying to control his fits of laughter. "I didn't think for one second that you guys were good. You're all just like that bastard Aizen was. Ichigo busted his ass and put his fucking life on the line, and even lost his goddamn powers for it, and you're telling me that I can't go and save him? Bullshit!" Grimmjow's mind filled with images of Ichigo crying on that sidewalk, how he looked so dead when he realized his powers were gone, and how terrified he was in knowing that getting his powers could very well kill him. "You can order me around and shit after Ichigo is back. Until then, don't fuck with me."

As Grimmjow began to turn around and exit, he felt something shake beneath his feet, and heard some kind of explosion in his periphery. At that moment, a Hell Butterfly swooped into the office, and Yamamoto heard its warning. Grimmjow saw it loud and clear when Yamamoto began to stand to his feet. A smirk emerged on the ex-Espada's face, his hand gripping his Zanpaktou. "Heh. Guess I don't need Urahara's ass to tell me where those Tenshi no Namida are. They're already here."

**XLXLXL**

Kenpachi walked along a dirt path towards the 12th squad buildings, disappointed in the lack of action inside Seireitei. He sighed. "Damn, it's so boring around here," he muttered to himself. Yachiru cocked her head to the side, hanging on his shoulder with little to no effort. "Yachiru, isn't that Espada supposed to be comin' today?"

She nodded. "Ai!" she answered. Abruptly, an explosion somewhere nearby caught both of their attention, and in one swift moment, Kenpachi's frown transformed into a smile, teeth and all.

"Yachiru, lead the way!" The pink-haired child saluted in understanding.

"That way, Ken-chan!" She pointed in a random direction, Kenpachi chuckling heartily as he raced off towards the sound.

**XLXLXL**

Renji really hated doing documents and papers. But he knew very well that he couldn't deny whatever his captain told him to do. He continued to sign paper after paper, hearing his own captain scribble down stuff on his own work. He wondered if Byakuya ever had any free time at all. And he also wondered if he ever had fun in his life at least once.

As he lowered his pen towards the next page, something exploded not too far away from squad 6's building, and Renji immediately took to his feet. Byakuya stood on his haunches, gliding out of the room. "Renji," he began as the red-head followed quickly behind him.

"Yes, Taichou?"

At that exact moment, the drums began to echo throughout Seireitei, communicating that Ryoka had arrived and that these were no normal invaders. "These Ryoka. They were the ones you fought?" Renji only steered his eyes to the floor, ashamed of himself. He had lost that battle lamely, and nearly lost his life in the process. But Byakuya didn't need any other word. "Renji… if you lose, don't bother returning."

To others, it may have seemed like it was a cold statement. But to Renji, he knew his captain all too well. That there, was motivation in true colors. He smiled with determination. "Right!"

**XLXLXL**

Toshiro had finally lost his lieutenant, who was no doubt still trying to find him. _That woman just didn't quit. _Matsumoto had been taking pictures of him while he was asleep for the Shinigami Women's Association, and if it were not for him hearing the flashes and her giggling, his pictures would be all over Seireitei. He had frozen the camera she was using, but she ended up taking out another one from underneath her Shinigami robes, and now he was running for his life.

Abruptly, his little chase with Matsumoto ended when he saw something land on a building and crash until dust swept the air above it. Matsumoto came bounding up behind him, snapping some pictures when she saw how serious he looked. "Taichou?" she asked. A Hell Butterfly suddenly flew by, and it landed on Matsumoto's finger. When she heard the news, her smile immediately disappeared. She followed where her captain's eyes were trained on.

Toshiro's hands balled into fists. "They're here."


End file.
